


Cobwebs

by Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Monsters, Omega!Levi, Omegaverse, arachne!eren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-19 00:25:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 76,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9409166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house/pseuds/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house
Summary: The forest is home to many a fell creature, labelled monsters by the ever-worried villagers that make their home on its borders. When Levi wakes up one night to discover himself an Omega, a rare phenomenon that hasn't occurred for lifetimes, he figures the trees wouldn't mind welcoming one more freak into their midst.(arachne!eren x omega!levi AU)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone who isn't sure, an arachne is a half-human/half- giant spider monster.
> 
> If you don't like spiders, this might not be for you (I don't like spiders and I'm writing the damn thing, what is wrong with me). Eren's a nice spider, though. Kind of. Not usually but you'll see what I mean, he's fine.

It didn’t happen often, but when it did there was always chaos. Or so Levi had heard.

There hadn’t been an Omegan evolution in his lifetime. Until now.

Only a few hours after waking up in near-blinding pain and surrounded by a strange, sickly sweet aroma, Levi found that he was different. He wasn’t just human anymore. And there was a name for what he was, what he had become, but it hadn’t happened in hundreds of years.

The word for him now was Omega. Although some people had other words for him, nasty words like whore and slave. Or demon.

Omega was the official term.

There were stories about them, not quite legends. Little more than conversations for round the campfire nowadays, to freak out children and make them grateful for the lives they had. Levi had heard them, everyone had from time to time. Tales of a different sort of human. Beings called Omegas that had existed once in abundance, all over the world in fact. Humans with extraordinary fertility, a secondary status that paid no heed to gender. These were the beings that helped colonies spring up, bringing many children to otherwise dwindling families. Back in the days where mankind’s population had been much less sparse, Omegas had been great treasures. Gifts from the gods.

Opinions of them had changed, and not for the better. Somewhere along the line humanity had grown a conscience, and their sense of what was right and wrong was set in stone. Unwavering.

Villages no longer welcomed the presence of those who did not conform to society’s norms, even against their will. Levi didn’t think it was that strange of a development. After all, Omegas did not stick to any one gender – anyone could hold the Omegan gene. No matter how open minded a person was, it was downright weird for someone you knew to go into lustful frenzies. It was more easily hidden amongst the females – people had a tendency to just write them off as whores. That in itself was tragic enough.

When it happened to the males…things were a little easier to figure out. Collapsing and gasping usually led to people trying to figure out what was wrong. There were certain symptoms that were hard to miss.

Before long fingers would start pointing. Then that word would follow.

One little word capable of upending lives. Omega.

It had never been a frightening word until today because it was no longer just a tale. Levi was living the story, the symptoms he’d read of.

Feverish warmth had taken over his body, cramps pulled at Levi’s insides and twisted them up so that it felt like his stomach was being strangled by his intestines. At the same time he throbbed shamefully. Arousal tugged at his gut, the barest touch of even his clothes enough to rile him. The pain of it sought to cripple him, making movement impossible for long and agonising moments. Levi had never felt more vulnerable, or awful. The raven’s very being was against him, skin too tight and itching. Begging for contact, even through the discomfort. Levi’s lungs shook and he tensed, panting as shocking urges made themselves known and tried to pull him to his feet and out the door to the nearest source of relief.

Levi staggered out his front door and onto the dirt of the road, almost landing face first in the dust as he swayed on shaky legs.

There were lights in the windows of nearby houses. Odd, given the late hour.

Oh, Levi realised. He’d been screaming. That was right.

The same urges that drove him to move evaporated at the first sign of danger. His whole village was stirring, people pulled from their beds by his agonised wails, the panicked shouting of one of his own family members waking the rest of a town that was rapidly turning to anger.

Anger born from fear. Fear born from the unknown.

Levi was the unknown to them now and no familiar face could be seen as friendly.

It was remarkable just how quickly he had been found out. One of his own kin had already turned for help the moment Levi had stumbled back through his door, searching for help. Only to watch his family flee in horror from him. Like Levi was some sort of monstrous, nightmarish thing. He listened to them, numb with shock at the screaming. Voices howling into the night to wake the others. He had to go, turned and fell instead. There were no helping hands to get Levi on his feet, no familiar face to usher him out the door.

Despite the pain, Levi made it out the door on his own.

Driven by a bone deep urge to flee, Levi’s agony ceased to paralyse him. It was still there, pushed from the forefront of his awareness by adrenaline. None of his pain or sudden, overpowering desires mattered in the face of the stirring village. They all knew. He could hear the shouts already, orders of capture and execution alike.

It was always the same – some wanted study, others wanted to _cure_. Whatever that meant.

Most wanted the new threat to their simple, normal lives dead.

Monster. Freak. _Abomination_.

Some wanted to do worse.

It was only evolution, an abnormality that Levi couldn’t have helped if he’d tried. But there was no trying anymore. There was only running.

He knew that staying in his home was not an option. It was a former home now. Levi knew that he couldn’t foolishly hope for mercy from his townspeople. They weren’t bad people, necessarily. Just simple folk, with straightforward lives.

This…this was anything but straightforward. Levi could forgive the betrayal later, though. First he had to make it out of here. Escape was the only liable option if he didn’t want to experience a whole other world of suffering. Levi was no longer welcome in the village. One option lay before him – he had to flee. There wasn’t a friend he had that would risk harbouring him now. Too dangerous. No one could be trusted; not even his own family. With nowhere nearby to seek sanctuary, Levi charged from the cluster of houses that made up the town and bolted for the dark and ominous tree line.

It wasn’t that close to the village. Close enough, though. Levi wondered somewhere at the corners of his mind if this was the fastest that he had ever run through the meadows that stood between his village and the great wood. Through crops and tilled land he fled, tumbling over fences. So fast it felt like he might fly at any moment, and Levi didn’t know how he could feel so weak and manage such a pace.

Before him the thick and shadowed wood loomed, everything turned shades of midnight in the deep hours of the night. His vision silhouettes of gloomy green and blue and purple, and an overarching, diamond-studded sky.

Closer and closer the trees came, until their branches seemed to be reaching out to embrace him.

Levi stumbled into the forest, already gasping for breath. He wasn’t tired, exactly, but breathing had become cumbersome. The raven blinked watering eyes up and took in the gloom between thick trunks.

A chill stole its way through his body, shaking through Levi’s spine and ending painfully in his toes. He’d only gone into the woods a sparse few times before, only ever to hunt on the edges of the more scattered trees in search of foolish rabbits. Few dared to venture further, and for good reason. Dark threats laid in wait in the deeper reaches of the forest. Violent things that chased and tore, and patient things that crept and lurked. Always waiting. The jaws of death could be around any corner, and always the forest sought to trick the eyes and fool the mind. Leave wandering souls lost. Alone to die.

Levi had heard enough stories to make him never want to set foot past the tree line ever again.

And yet there he was, staggering through the murky undergrowth in a fear-fuelled flight. Ferns tickled against his face as he hastened through them. The whisper of rustling plants constantly in his ears. He expected the gnarled roots of trees and leafy foliage to trip him up. Instead his path seemed to clear, the darkness swallowing him up and leading him away from the shouting of his former townspeople.

The forest itself was quiet, and yet alive with muted sound. It hushed all but the immediate noises, a muffled soundtrack always playing on the mind.

He kept running.

Levi didn’t have a plan outside of hiding himself away in the woods. It was a feared place and Levi hoped that the stories and stigma attached to this forest would be enough to keep the villagers from chasing him too far.

With luck Levi would be able to outlast this…condition. When he felt normal again, if he ever felt normal again, he could travel to a new village and gather some supplies. Maybe start a life as a fucking hermit somewhere.

That wouldn’t be so bad. Levi had always liked the idea of solitude.

But the hunters weren’t giving up yet. Shouted orders echoed in the air, muffled by the distance, but Levi could still hear the words. They were tracking him as best they could. Had Levi been in his right mind, he might have considered climbing up the trees and moving through their branches to escape being tracked along the ground. Alas, in his addled state it was difficult to think of anything besides the blinding panic that drove him onward. Levi had never felt this kind of panic before. It was pulling him forward from the core of his being, a fear that made him run even as every molecule seemed to beg for him to stop.

His gut felt jarred. Everything hurt in its own way. The worst were the cramps, a terrible pain that reached its way from his guts down into his legs, trying to trip him with agony. As it was the pain sent him sprawling mid-step, collapsing against trees only to jerk forwards again.

He had to move. Had to _run_.

Self-presentation was still a number one priority, Levi found. Apparently it was more important than whatever else he was feeling. The pain was worse than anything he had ever felt, like his bones were eroding from within, some unknown part of him awakening, and yet somehow Levi was able to keep his legs moving. Keep going. Keep running.

The already gloomy woods grew ever darker as the raven ran onwards, the deep shadows smothering the twinkling starlight above.

By that point Levi felt two warring fears. There was a strong desire to stop venturing deeper in the never-ending maze of trees and moss. To keep going was to risk injury or death, but to turn back was to hand himself over to either imprisonment, torture, or certain death. Possibly all three.

They thought he wasn’t human anymore. They thought he was a freak. They thought he was a monster.

So, with terror facing him on both fronts, Levi fled to where only monsters would go.

The trees seemed to welcome him, eerie and foreboding as they have ever been and yet somehow whispering to him that he’d come to the right place. No human felt at home here, so maybe Levi wasn’t human anymore. He wasn’t _one of them_ anymore; one of the normal, average human beings. He was something more, now. Or maybe something less. Levi wasn’t entirely sure how status worked among his…kind.

He had a kind now. A kin, he supposed. Although Levi knew he would never get to meet another Omega, never get to ask them what the fuck was going on with his body, because all of them were hunted.

As he was hunted.

Dead or captured, experimented on or sold to noble families for good breeding, a secure line of heirs.

Most Omegas were killed, like that could somehow put an end to them altogether. It was a mostly dormant gene that lived in countless people, but only a few ever became the real thing. There was no way of knowing who might carry the gene. The killings were pointless and barbaric. No one ever did anything about it, though. Those who managed to become an Omega and live probably wished their fate had been different. Levi had no intention of becoming an addition to some crazed scientist’s career, nor did he plan to be sex slave to an entire village of brutes. So he would run, or he would die. Or perhaps he would run until he died.

Around him the woods closed in, swallowing him up from the supposedly civil world and enveloping him in the cool gloom. The air seemed stuffier, like a burst of pollen to the face only Levi smelled no accompanying sweetness. The bitter cold of night was held at bay by branches. For that, Levi was grateful for he hadn’t had the time nor thought to pack. From the sound of things, the hunters weren’t giving up; their shouting voices chased after him, echoing and distorted as snippets floated through the crowded trees. Levi let his feet carry him forwards, finding it easier somehow. Gravity was aiding him, even if only a little – he was on a gradual, downward slope. The truly dank and dark places were this way, in the deep parts of the forest where cold streams ran and dripping caves burrowed into the stony ground. The rolling earth pulled Levi onwards, easing his effort while he bore with his pain.

It lingered in his guts now, a hot, heavy pain trying to coax his limbs into sluggishness. Convincing him to slow, to stop and plead for help. Levi’s skin tingled all over, itchy and irritated. His mind was clouding, a fog of pain and weariness and lust towards nothing in particular.

The hills were growing, slopes becoming more dangerous. Beneath his feet grass and dirt gradually became stone, buried boulders and cold rock. A covering of cool moss tickled the soles of his feet, slippery with damp. And it was right about then that Levi lost his footing at last, and gravity took care of the rest. He slipped on a spot damp earth that turned out to be the ledge of a steep slope and from there the Omega went tumbling down the side of it, accompanied by a rush of upset soil and leaves. Levi gave a shout as he tumbled, his eyes blinking wide as he went right off a ledge of mossy rock.

A cliff, in fact.

Below a heavy darkness yawned, like an endless, starless midnight. Levi found himself faced with a drop that was far enough that in the dark he could not see where he would meet his end, and he wondered if oblivion would look so empty. Gravity yanked the raven’s body down into that pit. Wind whipped at his hair, forcing grey eyes to tear up. Levi screwed his stinging eyes shut and hoped for a quick demise.

He slammed into something. Not the ground, though. No, this had too much give for that. Air escaped Levi in a wheezing rush and he was left dazed and coughing. His eyes were still wrenched shut, his lungs raw as he gasped in air.

Whatever he had landed on was enough to leave him winded, but it wasn’t…hard. Not earth or stone or a riverbed. Not water, or even a tree branch. Something…stretchy?

Something wet. Something sticky.

Levi forced his eyes open, breathing hard after the colossal scare of what he’d assumed was him falling to his death. Apparently not though, for he was still breathing. Still alive, and in no small amount of panic.

His heart beat wildly in his chest, pulse thrumming in his ears. The blood in his ears seemed to echo the previous roaring of the wind that had howled at him as he’d fallen. Below him the drop carried on; it really did look endless until his eyes began to adjust. Pale shapes stood out just barely amidst the gloom, stretching beneath Levi out and across the gap. It was dark down there, wherever there was, but Levi could make out pale, stringy shapes weaving about him. He was caught on something, some sort of net that was strung up between the two cliff faces either side of Levi. Below, much farther down, there was probably some ravine. Maybe this was a weird bridge?

Levi pulled with one of his arms, intending to try and sit up. He felt a pressure holding him back.

It wasn’t a bridge. Levi tried for many long minutes to free himself from the stuff only to learn that the more he struggled, the worse he would be stuck. The white, cord-like strings stuck to him like honey-covered vines. Thinner strings were woven carefully around, wisps of stickiness that clung to him like the tightest rope. There was no escaping them.

And just as Levi had wrapped his head around that thought…he realised what he was caught in.

It was his own fault, really. He’d made the decision to run off and go blundering through the forest. He’d known the sorts of creatures, the sorts of _monsters_ , that made their home in the murky recesses of the trees.

A spider’s web. He’d fallen into a spider’s web.

Not an everyday spider, fuck no. Levi could’ve brushed that shit off him like dirt. These enormous, thick strands of viscous web stretched from cliff face to cliff face and stuck like a curse to his skin. Whole cords of it, like white, gooey rope. Each strand as thick as a finger, with finer strands like wool woven masterfully. An intricate trap that spanned the gap between cliff faces. The creature that made this web…was a great deal bigger than the average arachnid.

Levi didn’t have any desire to meet such a creature but the more he struggled, the more entwined he became. A clever trap. Well-laid. And in Levi’s panic he hadn’t even seen the cliff ledge.

He was caught. Condemned to be prey. Unless one of the villagers came to rescue him.

As if by some miracle, a voice sounded from above. Then another.

Levi had been found, although he hadn’t made up his mind if that was a good or bad thing yet. For the moment, his options were shitty on both ends. Becoming arachnid chow or being hauled off by humans…at least if the humans took him they might do Levi the courtesy of carrying him.

Who was he kidding? Levi was as good as their prisoner by this point. They would make him stumble all the way back to the village.

But that was better than being digested alive for days.

Rescue it would have to be.

Voices echoed down from above, as if summoned by Levi’s fear, and the furious hunters became the raven’s impromptu saviours. The only path down was right over the ledge, and any misstep could lead to the same fall that had landed Levi in this mess to begin with.

Despite the danger, the people clambered over and began making their way down. It was a terrible idea, but these people weren’t about to let a once in a million chance freak escape them so easily. Over the ledge they went, others keeping watch from above. Picking their way down footholds in the stone, grasping for purchase in the rock – cracks and gaps, jutting edges. Making their way gingerly down the rock face, knives held between teeth. Their eyes held wariness and determination. No one in their right mind would approach such a trap – the owner of which would already have been alerted through the vast network of webbing that cascaded over one side of the chasm.

But these people weren’t in their right mind. Not anymore.

Levi ached and shook. He couldn’t run. Couldn’t move. These people were his only escape now. He had to trust them for the moment and pray that they wouldn’t do worse to him than whatever monster was likely headed their way.

The hunters descended, slow and careful, about five of them making their way for the web. Atop the ledge others waited, keeping a lookout as best they could in the dark.

Torches glowed like lost, little stars in the night, trying their hardest to let their bearers see.

Levi wasn’t sure how exactly the villagers planned to get him out, watching with strain as the first reached an outcrop of stone near some of the thick strands of web. He set his blade to the stuff, hacking with enough effort behind it that Levi could see the strain evident in the muscles of the man’s arms. That man, their town blacksmith, had once held no ill will towards the raven currently strung up in web.

Now none of their past interactions mattered.

Two people were hacking at that same cord now, puffing in the chilly night air. Their breath left them in little, steamy clouds and despite the cold Levi felt too warm. He needed to get out of his clothes and the thought of that heated the raven’s face. He almost didn’t care that these people would judge him.

His insides throbbed, along with other areas. There was a nasty ache settling in his shaft, the taut flesh straining to be freed. Levi desperately wanted to touch himself, almost crying when he was reminded that all of his limbs were bound and tangled in web.

Web that was jostling about now under the interference of blades.

Levi shifted further, ignoring the hissed reprimands of those trying to free him, and squirmed as much as possible. At last he found some relief, twisting until one of the cords, strung tight across the chasm, was pressed against his crotch. He whimpered, a sound very unlike him, and rutted without thought. Pleasure assaulted him, bolts of it shooting up his spine and tingling in his guts, and it wasn’t quite enough to soothe the twisting pain Levi was feeling but it was more than enough that once his hips started moving they couldn’t stop. It was tricky, being so well stuck in. Levi squirmed in his sticky prison, gasping when his pants soaked through from the front and behind, and the ropey web was left stickier than before. It shouldn’t have been that easy to cum and Levi realised that somewhere in the back of his dazed mind.

A string came loose, cut through at last by several blades. The cord snapped, and Levi yelped as the entire web shook. He heard a shout of alarm, unable to see as the cut strand of web went whipping back with enough force that it knocked one of the hunters right off of his feet. The villager screamed as he tumbled over the edge, making the rest of the web net shudder violently as he landed on a few strings.

Levi gave a shout as his world shook, the whole web shivering under the impact of the new prey and the shifting support from the cord being cut. The net held, though, easily strong enough to endure. The tremors petered out, travelling along the cords that stretched on out of sight, leading who knew where.

The raven swallowed. If just one cord being severed was enough to give off such large vibrations, then there was no way that something hadn’t been alerted to the activity here.

If not, then the alarmed racket would surely draw attention.

Somewhere near the newly fallen man was still screaming, clearly not accepting his fate.

Levi wished he could cover his ears. It was so loud. And terrified – a piercing shriek. A moment or two later, Levi realised why that was.

There was more than one voice screaming now.

The chasm was especially dark as a shadow skittered overhead. The web shook. Levi bounced in his sticky binding. Two more men fell into its gluey grasp. More screams, this time from above. Levi could see one of the faces of the fallen in his awkward position. The eyes were glazed. Lifeless. Blood oozed from the man’s nose.

Levi blinked through wide, watery eyes. There was no mistaking it; the man was dead.

Something jolted the web right next to Levi’s head. The cord thrummed, vibrations running along the straining strand. His shout of alarm was cut off with a choking sound as a sharp, stinging sensation struck his left thigh. Levi was numb moments later, brain clouding, and a low chittering echoing in the space by his ear.

 

Something shaky, like the uneasy rhythm of a rattlesnake’s dance, kept sneaking into Levi’s ears as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

A voice, maybe…but whatever those words meant weren’t for Levi to understand.

Something deep and animal echoed about him. Levi could feel the sound rattling around in his skull, filtering in his ears and remaining trapped in his memory. Played back over and over again until nightmares took shape.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is purely self-indulgent.
> 
> Comments and questions are always welcome. If anything is confusing, let me know and I'll get right on that. Chpt. 2 should arrive soon (I might get out a DW chapter first though). Feedback is both welcome and treasured! I don't bite; if you're wondering about something, just ask!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing a confused Eren trying to figure Levi out.

Levi’s dreams caught a filtered array of sounds, influencing the images that sprung up in his subconscious. A scraping sound – Levi’s head supplied him with the image of an executioner’s blade, the wicked curve of it being sharpened by unfamiliar hands. No body, no face to put with it and complete the image. Trickling water, a reminder of the village well. Somewhere, a distant cacophony of screams.

A whisper like thread through a weaver’s spinning wheel. On and on and on, at the edge of Levi’s awareness for so long that he didn’t notice the exact moment the sound stopped, only vaguely aware of fading echoes.

When Levi woke, it was with a whimper – the noise of it loud in the peaceful quiet that had settled.

No more screams, no more vague feeling of gravity shifting.

Levi was utterly still. His eyes did not open right away and he didn’t feel awake, but unconsciousness was heavier than this. Small details became apparent. He was laid out on his side, his face pressed against something damp. An odd smell in the air.

The raven stayed where he was, dazed and motionless, trying to wade his way back into wakefulness. Levi had no idea how much time had passed when his mind wandered back towards proper consciousness again. His eyelids felt stuck together. Heavy. He couldn’t persuade them to open right away, but the raven could at least hear that the setting had changed from when he’d last been awake. There were no more howls of pain, no screaming shrieks of panic. Instead the noise of echoing droplets reached Levi’s ears. Little plinking sounds announced water dripping from stone into puddles. That would explain the frigid air, but for the moment the chill felt oddly amazing on his over-heated skin.

Numbness was thick in him – heavy limbs and unfeeling nerves. Prickling in his skin, and still too hot.

And the next thing Levi noticed was that his cramps were gone. No, wait…not gone. The tension, the tugging like hooks in his gut, was still present and the muscles of his abdomen still clenched tight periodically. The _feeling_ was gone. Specifically the pain.

Levi had never been happy to be numb before, but he was then. Able to feel contact and pressure, but unable to distinguish sensations beyond that. There was a heaviness in place of agony and before he even tried Levi knew he probably wouldn’t be able to move. He tried anyway, barely managing to twitch a finger.

It took time, but eventually with enough persistence Levi could flex his toes, move his fingers, albeit sluggishly. His body felt fuzzy, all his limbs three times as heavy as they usually were.

When, at last, Levi was able to uncurl from his bundled position, he could get a decent look at where he was.

A cave. Cold, grey stone glistened all around, mottled green with moss in places. All around, though, were webs.

The cave was choking on them – every corner laced in white. Huge strings stretched along the ceiling, shimmering overhead, supports for something big to travel on.

Levi tried not to think about it.

Layers of finer webbing reached between jutting rocks, covered the walls, lined the floor with little overlapping patterns. Some of it feathery and fine. The bigger strands were limited to the higher areas of the cave. An easy route over the messy cave.

There were shadows. Levi froze when he spotted them, although he hadn’t been moving much to begin with. For a terrible moment he thought it was the silhouette of a monster. His captor, perhaps?

But no. It was worse.

Bodies. Three of them. Motionless and swaying just barely, wrapped in sticky white parcels and strung up to the ceiling. Bundled up tightly, efficiently even. Organised from largest to smallest in a line – a living pantry store. Levi wanted to blink, but shock kept his eyes wide. He didn’t know how long he had been there, but there wasn’t any strong smell of death or rotting flesh. These trapped things, his own people probably, were probably alive then.

Drugged, as he had been?

Or maybe they hadn’t been there long enough to start stinking up the place. That in itself was a promising thought. Their captor hadn’t been hungry enough to eat any of them yet, or if they had they’d also been considerate enough to take the remains away from the cave.

Levi had to cut off that train of thought before despair could grasp at him.

He blinked at last when his eyes watered, a glinting of light catching his eye. Wet eyes focused on the source of the light, brilliant shafts of golden sunbeams streamed in from gaps in the ceiling. As if clouds had finally moved on from blocking the sun; light flooded into the cave with accompanying warmth. Just a little heat, and nearly none of it actually shining on the raven. Or maybe it was a phantom heat that Levi thought he was feeling? It was enough to send a hopeful thrill through Levi. With light and the resulting gap it would need to enter through, there could be a way out.

There had to be a way out, even if it wasn’t this obvious one. Their captor would need a way to enter and exit their lair, and Levi didn’t think the creature that had captured them was any small beast. Somewhere around here, then, there must have been some kind of entrance.

He just had to find it.

Levi strained, a slow going process of convincing his sluggish form to move, until he could spot it. There. A gap, easily big enough for him to fit through. Quite a large opening, really. Too large and obvious to be natural. The stone there was smooth – worn down over time by passing forms.

Too bad that it was about twenty feet above even standing height.

An entrance to the cavern, too high up for Levi to ever hope of reaching it on his own. A mostly rounded hole, from the looks of it there was a tunnel attached and more light streamed in from there. It stood high up one of the stony walls, with only a handful of footholds that might be used to climb up. A very risky climb, even for someone large enough to reach between the little cracks and crannies where hands and feet might grasp for purchase. And lining the rock was a near-endless net of entwined webbing. If Levi could move, he’d have tried scaling the web itself. Stupid, really, for he would only be ensnared again. Levi remembered the gluey strands and the way they tightened around him with every attempt he’d made to get free. Sticky and clinging – an impossibly clever bind. It would be foolish to even attempt using the stuff as leverage.

Not to mention that the slightest touch to even the finest strands of web could bring their owner running.

Levi gave up on the notion of escape, if only for the moment. He had to survive first, and there may be other methods of leaving this dank place if he was only patient enough to find them.

Patience and waiting around might just end his life…but there weren’t many other options.

While he couldn’t move, even to look around properly, there wasn’t much to be done about anything. Levi wasn’t stupid. He knew he was, very probably, screwed.

Nothing to do about that but try and think his way out of the situation. He had some information, a partial view of his surrounds. The way the light shone down from above made Levi think they must be underground. Either that or buried in the side of a mountain, somewhere low near where the roots met the earth. Hidden away from the world, no doubt in some foul place where clever animals never ventured. And people? No human in their right mind would come this far into the woods, at least not alone or in small parties.

The last group that had tried that…well, they’d ended up here.

Levi wondered how many of the villagers that had chased after him had survived the attack? Had any of them actually made it back out of the woods? Really, there was every chance that at least a quarter of the village had disappeared into the trees and no one in the village knew what had befallen them. And even if someone had made it back, even if they did know, it was a doomed venture to attempt to rescue their captured comrades and one, hunted Omega from the depths of a monster’s lair. It was a suicide mission. Not even a once in a thousand year chance to get one’s hands on an Omega could draw people this far into the woods.

That was settled, then.

There was no chance of rescue. Levi’s future lay in the hands of the forest and its beasts. Unless he could overcome this numbness, manage to somehow scale the rocky ledges and make it out of this cave, he would most certainly die here.

At the very least, Levi was grateful that he wasn’t entirely alone. Even unconscious, the others in the cave gave the raven some peace of mind. He only felt a little bad for hoping, should any monster return, that it would go for them first. Maybe that made him a bad person.

Good people didn’t make it out of the woods, though.

Levi couldn’t afford to be a good person.

In the quiet of the cave, with fear swarming around the edges of his mind, Levi was forced to consider himself and the situation. Just how much could he do with his life on the line? What could he put himself through, for even a chance at freedom? If he had to put himself first, and fear dictated that he did, then no one else’s life could matter. Certainly not the lives of people who had, mere hours before, attempted to kill him.

Well…Levi wasn’t sure what they would have done to him, really. There had been a lot of options. None of them pleasant. Levi hadn’t stuck around to find out, and seeing how quickly his former friends and neighbours had formed into an angry mob just to hunt him through the forest didn’t give the raven high hopes for how the situation might have gone had he allowed things to proceed differently.

Something told Levi without a doubt that his instincts to run hadn’t been wrong.

Whether he was meant to have arrived here or not remained to be seen.

A noise caught Levi’s attention, the sound distant and…familiar? As if from a memory, or a dream.

Or a nightmare.

There it came again – a kind of scraping sound. Some kind of abrasion, out of sight but growing steadily louder.

A pattern of ‘ _scrape, pause, scrape, pause_ ’ emerged. Amidst the sounds, as it drew nearer, was a rhythmic scramble of clicking and thudding.

Footsteps? Falling stones, even? And then…that other sound…

Was something being dragged?

Levi strained to see, and froze when he noticed that the entrance tunnel to the cave was in shadow again. Light tried to filter in behind the blockage, and something big squeezed its way inside the tunnel.

Nothing visible, yet.

Movement. An eerie silhouette of motion, and always that scraping and scrabbling. Along the wall the shadows became more prominent – the image unsettling.

Their captor had returned.

In a fit of panic, or perhaps survival instinct, Levi shut his eyes. He couldn’t tense, his limbs loose and body well drugged with whatever he’d been hit with before. Levi let himself lie there, unwilling to open his eyes for fear of what he might see.

The scraping had stopped, a sound unlike anything Levi had ever heard before whispering in the cavern. And then a thud, careful as though planned, and the muted impact of footsteps over stone. More scraping, that same eerie rhythm of something being dragged.

Or, more likely, some _one_.

Levi waited, hearing a periodic shaking chitter, the same rattlesnake sound that he remembered from back in the web. So this was the beast that had made that noise? Levi bit back on the curiosity, even fearful as it was, that demanded he catch a glimpse of the terror. Just a peek, a single glance to know what had brought him here. He’d heard of them, been told stories about countless fiends and night horrors, but never laid his eyes on an actual monster before.

He couldn’t bring himself to do so now.

“I didn’t know that humans played dead.” A voice said amidst a shaking rattle.

Levi stiffened, barely. It was about all he could do; twitching where he lay. His ears picked up the barest sound – a kind of purposefully careful movement. Muted clicking of feet against stone, too many feet. The creature lurked, its shadow passing over him. Levi didn’t dare open his eyes, even knowing from the quiet, shifting noises that there was still a good distance between himself and the monster. His breath hitched, lungs suddenly intent on launching the raven into hyperventilation.

The creature noticed.

“So you are awake? I thought so.”

It had a lilting voice, something playful that made Levi break out into a cold sweat.

A pause. Deliberate. It shifted, its footsteps sluggish and heavy enough that Levi could hear it against the rock. Calculated movement. Lazy, even. Levi could feel the muted thuds, the vibrations of it, through the ground that his face pressed against – one cheek flat against stone.

There was an unsettling chitter, the sound of it echoing.

“What’s wrong? Are you quite shy, little thing?” It left plenty of time for him to respond, carrying on when the silence lingered. “I promise I won’t eat you if you tell me your name.”

It seemed too simple. Not that Levi had any means of telling this thing his name in his current state.

“No?” The word was drawn out. “Perhaps you cannot speak?”

It deliberated in the quiet, only the sound of dripping water and the wind outside to fill the pause. Thinking up some new way to lead the conversation, now that it knew no verbal responses would be coming.

“Look this way.”

A worried whimper choked its way free of Levi’s throat and he gave another sluggish twitch.

There was an unsettling chuckle.

“Your imagination is more frightening than anything I could ever hope to be.” The beast promised in that same, lilting tone. “Look at me, so we can talk.”

There were several long, terrible moments where Levi considered his options. Look at this thing, or become its lunch? The choices weren’t fantastic. He shivered trying to persuade his eyes to open, but finally he managed to peel reluctant lids back and saw…

Nothing. Levi frowned, although the expression reached his face slowly.

He blinked, but no…there was no monster in the immediate vicinity. Just an empty cave, clustered webs, swinging bodies bundled tightly in their little casings. Too many shadows, too many dark areas where something might sit and wait and-there!

A dark line, thick and bent, curled over a rock. Completely still. A shape, something big hovering there in the shade. The outline of legs, bent in places, the sight making Levi want to shiver.

“What a strange little face you have.” Were the first words to leave the shadows now that Levi was looking, but the raven found the statement less insulting than it was curious. “Do you have a name?”

The thing waited, poised off of the ground. Barely a silhouette. It was big; even the murky light couldn’t hide that. Slowly it picked a path up one wall, carefully avoiding the light like it knew exactly how frightening it would look in full view. It made no obvious move to approach Levi directly, only shifting massive legs about, skulking. It watched him from the gloom with glimpses of eyes that almost seemed to glow in reflected light.

There were…too many eyes. Levi couldn’t see it properly, couldn’t tell.

The question was repeated, the words coming out on an almost hissed note of frustration. This thing wasn’t used to talking to its food.

Levi’s tongue was like lead in his mouth, but he managed to move his head enough to nod.

At least he hoped he had. There was no way to know. Every movement felt exaggerated in his numbed state, all of his nerves aware of the dull buzz of whatever was drugging his system.

Levi attempted to speak, croaking instead and sending himself into a brief coughing fit. Somewhere in the shadows, a sympathetic sound reached him.

“Are you ill? Perhaps the binding is too tight?”

Binding? Levi couldn’t feel anything holding him, but he hadn’t been able to really get a good look at himself. There was no web on his face…but lower, perhaps?

The thud and press of feet returned. It was moving. Levi felt his heart pounding faster and faster, tried his best to remember to breathe. Steadily. Evenly. Don’t pass out.

A glint of colour caught Levi’s attention, his eyes darting to its source, and he choked on a squeak of surprise.

It was above him, crawling through a lightened part of the ceiling.

Levi had been wrong. This thing wasn’t big.

He was _huge_. And slow, for the moment. Each step he took was measured; a careful stretch across great strands of web. Deliberate and thought out. The descent from above was meticulous, like the creature was confused by its prey. His legs were enormous, thick as branches and covered in fine fuzz. Levi could only see it thanks to the way the little hairs caught the light. The limbs, big as they were, balanced the majority of the monster’s weight; a bulk that consisted mostly of spider-like abdomen that jutted out the back of a surprisingly normal-looking torso. A shocking, human shape made up the rest of him. He had arms, perfectly normal-looking arms just like any Levi had ever seen before. Hands, fingers, a head and even hair. Fluffy and brown, strands and locks of it dangling from the way he was hanging upside down. The thing’s skin was an odd colour, mottled much like his abdomen that held dappled brown and green and grey. He reached Levi too soon, stepping down onto the ground from where he was dangling on a new string of web so gracefully that the movement appeared weightless.

The thing paused, tilting its head in consideration.

“You can call me Eren.” It said finally, and this close the words almost rumbled. It was a normal kind of voice only that it sounded like there was thunder behind every word. “Or at least you can when you’re able to speak again. Poor little critter.”

Levi was on his back, somehow rolled there of his own accord although he could not remember moving. He stared up at Eren with wide eyes, finding too many eyes gazing back at him. There were eight, two regular ones and then smaller ones, rounded and glossy. Little beads of darkness that seemed to size him up. All eight eyes appeared to blink independently and Levi wasn’t sure why that made him feel ill.

He was sure that by now he’d gone as white as a sheet.

Eren picked up on that.

“You looked healthier when I first carried you in.” He observed.

Levi thought of it as a he immediately, its voice distinctly masculine and then the reveal of its more human features only adding to the raven’s assumptions.

Who knew if these kinds of beings even had genders?

He stared and stared, unable to look away from the massive form.

From the front there were two more leg-like attachments, though these limbs were far leaner. They were like legs, only they didn’t reach to grab and provide support. These sat neatly tucked against the front, curled like fangs but he, this thing, used them like more like a second pair of arms. They unfurled again and again, reaching down, touching, learning. Pulling at something until Levi noticed that he was being unravelled from some sort of webbed rope.

He had been tied after all.

But Eren was… _kind_ enough…to remove the web, rolling Levi this way and that to get him free of the white strings that held him. Those smaller appendages were the limbs that picked at Levi, prodding at his arms, his sides, curling little claw-like fingers around his wrists and ankles to move and lift him.

In the wake of its strength, Levi felt weightless.

“You’re an odd creature.” Eren said, frowning somehow. He seemed terribly confused. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were food.”

Eren sounded like he did know better, although how Levi didn’t know. Senses unknown, probably.

Levi couldn’t move. He was free of the web binding, courtesy of Eren, but there was something in his system that kept him from springing up. That damned drug held him down, removing both his ability and desire to move. To run.

He didn’t… _want_ to run. That was perhaps the most terrifying part of the whole situation.

Levi tried to make peace with the fact that he must have been going insane.

“You don’t smell like food.” Eren mused, stepping in close with one great leg and leaning down. Lifting with a foreleg, he rolled the raven onto his back again, and blinked the more human of his many eyes in Levi’s face. “My nose never lies, although I’m not sure _what_ you smell of. It’s…different. Do you speak, little thing?”

Levi would have if he could convince his jaw to move, his throat to work and push out more than an alarmed rustle of air. Movement was but a distant dream at that point. The raven’s limbs were lead, heavy and useless.

Eren gave a knowing click of his tongue.

“Ah, that might be my fault.” He mused, leaning this way and that. “Might have given you a little too much back there; it’s always hard to withhold full doses.”

Levi didn’t have to wonder at the meaning of those words. He remembered the stinging just before unconsciousness had taken him; of course it had been Eren’s venom. It left Levi in some kind of numbed paralysis. He could move as if in slow-motion, but even considering moving seemed draining.

To his credit, Eren did sound remarkably regretful for his mistake.

Then again he probably mistook Levi for a damned child anyway, everyone else in the hunting party had a good foot on the raven at least.

Something prodded at Levi’s calf and he was pulled a little ways over the ground, even closer to the looming monster.

Eren tugged at Levi’s legs, the tiny, hook-like fingers at the end of his forelegs pinching Levi’s toes. Careful for such a strong creature, exerting almost cautious pressure where he attempted to figure out his prey. He chittered, the sounds almost alien to Levi’s ears coming from a human throat. The sounds almost mindless, observational. Those same little claws curled around Levi’s wrists and Eren lifted Levi right off the ground, reaching out with a perfectly human hand to push strands of damp hair out of Levi’s face.

It might have been an uncomfortable hold if not for Eren’s venom robbing Levi of most sensation. Levi found himself glad for the numbness, at least in that moment.

Human hands took over, Eren’s forelegs holding up the raven’s weight almost without effort. The fingers that gripped Levi’s chin were firm, but not enough to bruise. Insistent and helpful really as Levi didn’t have the means to move his head of his own free will yet. The shift in gravity was dizzying, and Levi was actually grateful of the hand that held the back of his head, cradling as gently as one might hold a newborn but Levi was too weary to bother being insulted. Compared to this thing, Levi was fragile. Eren tipped Levi’s head both ways, inspecting him like he was prize stock. Levi had a feeling that even a beast would be underwhelmed with him – he was a rather skinny prize. Had quite a mouth on him, too. Eren hadn’t gotten to hear any of that, though. That was probably the reason Levi had lived this long at all; he hadn’t had the opportunity to insult his, dare he think it, host.

Eren was a terrible host.

He peered with all of his eyes, the six little beady ones blinking at odd times. Assessing, almost. Levi wondered what they saw…if they could see more than Levi could. The more normal-looking set of orbs didn’t blink, not once, as they narrowed in observation.

From the look in those eyes, Levi guessed he was quite the puzzling anomaly to Eren.

Living deep in the woods, Eren wouldn’t make much contact with humans. Even if Levi was a regular human anymore he would probably be somewhat of a curiosity to most monsters.

Levi found himself set down without warning, and Eren gave a quiet snuffle of disinterest, picking now at the raven’s clothes like they vexed him on a personal level. Regular hands and little, pinching claws worked in tandem, a well-practiced process even if disrobing someone wasn’t entirely familiar to the monster. Levi couldn’t say that he was familiar with being disrobed, either. He imagined that it wasn’t usually as…businesslike as this. Eren didn’t so much as bat an eye at newly revealed skin. He peeled garments away like strips of flesh from a carcass, methodical and stern about the whole process. Focused intently on his task.

Levi couldn’t even protest beyond the little, choked noises that escaped him.

He was laid down again, bare on the stone floor next to his ruined clothes. Technically they had been ruined when he’d run through the forest and gotten them dirty, torn, and covered in sticky web residue. Levi still chose to blame Eren.

Speaking of Eren, he looked bemused – confusion and shock written plainly across his face. Levi was bizarrely grateful for the human features. He could understand at least a little of this being’s behaviour, and had at least a chance of reading its moods and reactions. Right then, Eren was frowning. Without knowing how, Levi felt that he had insulted this creature.

“You’re not female?” Eren wondered aloud. “But you smell…fertile.” The brunet’s frown deepened. “What kind of trick is this?”

Eren had pieces of a puzzle, little bits of truth and fact that refused to fit together into the image he had been expected.

Clearly Eren had far keener senses than humans. His nose told him that Levi was fertile, but his eyes could clearly see that the raven was male. Levi could understand his confusion. Had he not known about the stories of Omegas he wouldn’t have been able to understand the situation either.

And until he could talk again, there was no way to explain it to Eren. The brunet probably didn’t even know what an Omega was, but it was enough that he hadn’t killed Levi immediately.

There could be a way out for the raven yet.

But he would need to barter his way out with information, and that wouldn’t be happening until his voice returned.

Above him, Eren seemed to read his mind.

“If only you could talk, hm?” He muttered, prodding Levi’s side with a leg. “What things you must know; I can see it in your eyes. Secrets, little thing. Little non-human.”

“…help…”

Levi would have stiffened at the sound if he’d been able.

A voice. That had been a voice! Someone was out there!

Eren noticed it too, all of his eyes seeming to narrow. He scuttled over where Levi lay with a mutter of “stay here”, like Levi had any other option.

Somewhere in the cave, the same voice grew louder, resonating in a disorienting way.

“H-Help! _Help!”_

There was a clatter of confined movement, more slurred shouting. The noise of Eren’s too-fast footsteps almost drowned it out, sending a terrible, skittering echo bouncing around the cave.

“ _Hush_.” Eren growled in a voice once more like thunder.

The word echoed like the soundtrack of some fiendish nightmare, underlying a sudden chorus of screams.

Footsteps thudded, Eren returning. He loomed over the raven, a great and ominous shadow.

“Sorry, little thing,” Eren rasped above him, “but you won’t want to hear this.”

Levi felt a piercing pressure in his side this time before darkness rushed around the edges of his vision. His head fell back, only his numb state removing what would have been an uncomfortable contact with the stone floor. Levi blinked twice more, sluggish, and saw Eren swarming his webbed bundles where they hung from the ceiling. One of them moved, but Levi’s grasp on consciousness wasn’t enough to show him the rest.

Shadows swam in front of his eyes, blurred, then faded to nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have it. They meet at last. Kind of. Levi still has to speak to his new monster acquaintance but still.
> 
> Let me know what you think; feedback is always welcome, as are questions. If anything is confusing or you want to know something, feel free to ask. Drop a comment here or come chat to me on [tumblr](http://haberkonium.tumblr.com/).


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren has book lungs located in his abdomen that allow him to breathe constantly. He uses the lungs in his chest, though, to be able to speak and provide additional oxygen to his human-ish parts. I only mention because there’s a bit where Eren doesn’t _appear_ to be breathing, and he doesn’t need to actively breathe when he’s being super still. It also helps him to set ambushes, being able to go completely still.

There were more human parcels when Levi next regained consciousness. It wasn’t a promising sight. How many of the poor idiots had gotten themselves caught back at that first web? Levi blinked at the silhouettes until his vision lost its sleepy blur and he could count properly.

At least seven of them from the looks of it, swaying as if caught in a breeze. There might have been more hiding in the back behind all of the other swinging bodies, but Levi couldn’t know for sure from the ground.

He allowed himself time to wake properly, becoming more and more aware of how stiff he felt. He shivered, feeling cold and awful after spending however many hours unconscious on the chilly and unforgiving rock. Not exactly comfortable. Levi felt suddenly grateful that he wasn’t some useless noble, used to only the finer things, or else his sudden change in lifestyle would have been even more of a shock. Coming from a humble home, where they’d slept on beds that might as well have been the floor, Levi knew he’d be able to walk off most of his discomfort.

If he could make himself walk, that was.

That would have to be his challenge for the day. It looked like daytime at least, bright light streaming in from gaps above. His captor would hopefully be out hunting, or spinning new traps, or whatever the heck giant spider hybrids did to entertain themselves. Hopefully Levi would have a little time to think, to figure out what to do.

Escape alone, or try to free his former neighbours?

Not that the fact that they’d lived in the same village as Levi made them good people. Just like the fact that they’d chased him didn’t make them entirely bad people.

Would they help him now, though? Even if he freed them, rescued them somehow, would it be enough?

Were they even still alive?

Levi craned his neck where he lay, straining to see better. None of the parcels were moving, but Levi didn’t think they were dead – he couldn’t imagine that his captor enjoyed cold or rotten food.

_Eren_ , Levi reminded himself. The monster had a name, and things with names and an understanding of human languages could be reasoned with. If it did return before Levi could find a way out, then maybe he could talk his way out of trouble? Unlikely, given that he’d talked himself _into_ trouble more often than not in the past. He likely would here, too. That was one reason to get out first, before he had the opportunity to worsen an already terrible situation. Flee, or be civil. He thought that maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to have a conversation with a monster, so long as it minded its manners and kept its distance. Levi knew he lashed out when he felt cornered, threatened, or otherwise defensive.

And he was in a scenario that instantly made him feel all of that. Fantastic.

Let the monster do the talking, then? That might work…if he could keep his own responses short and bite back on his attitude. It, Eren, had wanted to know his name, Levi recalled. This thing was intelligent, he reminded himself. It wasn’t fair, Levi supposed, to assume that something clever enough to chat with him wouldn’t be able to control itself. There had been curiosity, questions that Levi might be able to answer. Small as it was, there was a chance for survival. Or at least a chance to escape immediate death. Maybe they could strike some kind of compromise?

First, though, Levi needed to know if he could find any means of escape.

He wouldn’t find out anything lying down.

Moving was much easier this time around. Levi managed to push up into a sitting position, the change instantly making him groggy. It pulled an irritating ache up behind his eyes that throbbed dully, and he wished for water and a proper place to sleep off this awful feeling.

The first thing Levi took in was that he was still outrageously naked, and looking around revealed that his clothes had been carted off somewhere. Of course. Levi checked himself over, but he found no unusual tenderness or signs to show that he had done anything but sleep. Only his side and the back of one leg was properly sore, the skin pinked and bruised where Eren had stung him. Healing over already, though – Levi could tell because the two spots were a little itchy. He resisted the urge to pick at them and gave up on any hopes for modesty.

There was no use moping, so the raven struggled on. Over onto his hands and knees, from there into a crouch. His legs didn’t seem like they would collapse immediately, so Levi risked getting up fully.

Standing was even more unpleasant than sitting had been. His joints felt stiff; Levi could almost imagine his bones creaking like old wood, as silly as that seemed. He hadn’t been out that long, maybe a few days at the very most.

He fell over almost immediately after making it upright, grimacing at the harsh landing. Levi was really beginning to hate rocks. Brushing himself off, he tried again. His second attempt was more successful, even with shaky legs. Levi took a few, careful steps to check his balance.

A bit wobbly, but he could move at least.

And move he did. Little steps for now, in case he unbalanced and went careening one way or another. He moved carefully, trying his hardest not to disturb any of the webbing that wound around almost the entirety of the cave’s interior. Sticky and blocking his way. Levi picked a slow path through gaps in the lacy webs, finding himself over at one of the clearest spots of wall inside. A section of rock that wasn’t entirely web-covered. Finally, a safe spot.

Levi took in his location, the maze he’d weaved through to get there. He was actually further away from the other people now than he’d been before, and the raven cussed into the quiet. Making his way over had taken up all of his focus; he hadn’t noticed the distance he’d been putting between himself and the only other humans around.

No use worrying. He could make it back to them, although it would be slow going.

Leaning back against a boulder, Levi took a moment to rest. He was realising his own weakened state, needing food, water. Proper care. That was unlikely to come anytime soon, though. Levi was on his own as far as his own wellbeing went.

He sighed, turning to look for a better place to catch his breath.

A couple of boulders sat there next to him. The big rocks lined that part of the wall, a sheltered cluster. It would make a good vantage point, Levi thought, it he could get up there. With no thick coating of webbing to ensnare him, just a few wisps here and there, the raven thought it would be possible to make it up onto the biggest of the boulders.

Maybe he could rest there for a bit and examine the cave from a new angle?

Levi made to climb up the first one, eyes narrowed and searching for places to dig in his fingers. He stretched up and grabbed for a little divot that had been chipped away, heaving to get himself up. His feet shifted, one coming up to help push him upwards, the toes of his still-grounded foot bumping something. It scraped against the rock, rolling a little.

The sound almost gave Levi a heart attack, but he was still quite alone.

Settling across the hard ground there was a stick, about as long as his forearm and only the width of his pinkie finger. Slender, but thick enough not to be uselessly fragile.

Levi blinked at it dumbly for a few seconds, trying to get his racing heart to slow.

It was just a stick. Not enough to build a fire or make a spear or anything else Levi might need to use against a monster of the forest.

Still, even a stick was better than nothing at all.

Levi bent to grab it, snatching it up without hesitation and curling his fingers tight around the kindling. He would keep it. Perhaps there were more somewhere? Anything at all that could be used as a tool or a weapon was welcome, and he scurried up the rest of the rocks to sit atop the largest boulder, wary of slippery moss. It was there that he sat, bare and shivering a little, trying to get his bearings. Trying to come back to himself, to wake up properly and lose his headache.

The cave looked a lot nicer from this perspective. It would have stirred a sense of adventure in the raven if not for the mess of webs and the eerie sight of the living pantry.

Not that he was up there, Levi thought that the storage spot might have actually been the start of a longer tunnel. There was a little light coming from further back. An exit perhaps? Or just another tempting bit of daylight, more likely. Regardless of what it turned out to be, Levi would have to investigate the pantry eventually if he got the chance. If he could wake up the others, they might have a chance of overwhelming their captor. Eren was big, probably too strong for seven unarmed humans and one weakened Omega to take down. But they didn’t have many choices. That option alone would only work if they could agree to work together.

Levi had to force himself not to dwell on the consequences of failure. He couldn’t become distressed now.

Happy thoughts were hard to come by here, so Levi busied himself by grinding one end of his newly acquired stick against the boulder. He grated the bark back at that end and worked on wearing the wood down. Not too much; there was a purpose to his distraction. Careful pressure, a back and forth scrape of timber over rock. Levi twisted the tip to smooth everything down into a point, sharp as he could get it without a knife or other means.

His stick was pointy now, and Levi counted that as a victory. Levi twirled his little weapon in his fingers, careful not to drop it over the edge of the boulder. This was the only security he had. Just a little bit of poorly sharpened wood.

He had no idea what he meant to do with the weapon. Fight? How ridiculous.

Nevertheless, just holding the stick made Levi feel better.

At least this way he could pretend that he had some tiny semblance of control over what new and horrifying scenario would next befall him.

There were a great many boulders about, a large and open space near the middle, and clumps of green moss all around. Not on the ground, which was all hard stone and the occasional bit of soil. Some little piles of leaves could be seen under the gaps in the ceiling that must have led outside.

Sunlight teased Levi, his freedom all but dangled in front of his nose and yet so far out of reach.

Feeling better about the idea of exploring, the raven shifted towards one edge of the big boulder. He looked for a way down, but gave a start when his foot slipped on the stone and met with something sticky.

Levi closed his eyes, resisting the urge to hiss his frustration.

Just brilliant. One of the few strands of web that even touched this boulder, and he’d managed to land a foot in the stuff. Of course. Everything else in his life had gone to shit, why not this too? Levi tried, carefully, to pull back and out of it, feeling strain building in his leg the more he pulled. He couldn’t touch the web with his hands, wouldn’t risk becoming even more stuck. Levi had learned his lesson with wrestling with these webs.

But stuck he was. Shit.

Trapped again, on a smaller scale this time.

Levi tensed at the first flickering of shadow interrupting the filtering sun from above. The click of inhuman feet on the rock.

Oh no. The beast’s timing couldn’t have been worse. Levi was out in the open, clearly visible, and he couldn’t even get down.

He made another attempt to free himself, pulling hard enough that a sound actually escaped him, frustration and panic creeping up and out of his throat in a strangled noise.

A surprised sound responded, echoing from across the cave.

Levi shut his eyes tight, cursing internally, and when he opened his eyes again they found eight others staring right back at him. All of them blinking out of order, startled.

Eren was back.

Levi swallowed forcibly, loud and strangled.

The monster moved, shifting its weight, watching him.

“You’re awake.” It, _he_ , observed, wide-eyed with something akin to excitement.

A little too manic for Levi’s liking.

Levi stared, feeling the familiar freezing panic and gut-wrenching dread. It didn’t help that he had faced this creature before, watched it stalk around and over him, even be touched by it. Just seeing that unsettling shape had the little hairs at his nape standing on end. The image was even more confronting with a human face steering the whole, horrifying beast.

That face, almost sweet in its sudden delight, was so jarring against the flurry of rushing legs and the awful scrape and click of those feet.

The strings and nets of web did nothing to hold Eren back, unable to stick to him. Eren advanced in an oddly organised scramble. Over rocks and uneven ground without so much as a stumble – he knew his lair too well for anything but grace. Even that fast with that many legs. Eren was far too close, too soon, and the only reason Levi didn’t scream was because when he tried to his throat closed up. It was probably for the best. Screaming never got anyone anywhere, and at least if he survived he could play pretend at being brave.

Eren slowed as he came nearer, sweeping a section of web out of his path with a hand, the larger set of eyes flitting about. Keen interest was written on his face, those eyes, _all those eyes_ , missing nothing. Every movement, every breath and shudder.

Had it gotten colder, or was that the fear talking?

“You’re shaking, poor thing. Oh.” Eren’s eyes dropped to the raven’s trapped foot and he looked amused, sheepish, like Levi was a child stuck in a fence. Something to be cooed at. “Let me get that for you.”

Those odd legs moved again, slower this time, hands reaching for the ensnared foot.

With his own hands shaking awfully, Levi held up his admittedly terrible choice of weapon. The stick was sharp, though, and it was enough to make Eren pause even despite the raven’s shaky grasp.

They looked at each other at the same time, equally uncertain for once.

“Back up, or lose an eye.” Levi rasped.

He punctuated the words with an uncoordinated flail of his arms, clasping his stick and wishing it was a dagger. Levi tried to breathe normally, wasted effort or not. He wasn’t doing a very good job of appearing calm with his shaking and owlish staring, his foolish method of defence.

Dagger or not, it brought everything to a standstill.

Eren blinked all his eyes at once and became unsettlingly still, regarding the raven.

“So you do speak.” Eren observed, not quite wary. Inconvenienced, if nothing else, and he ventured a compliment. “You have a nice voice.”

The words were unexpected and unwelcomed. This thing thought it could frighten the life half out of Levi and then try to smooth talk his way out of it? What a complete and utter bastard.

Levi felt his lip curl in distaste, an odd urge to growl rushing up on him. He held back the sound, surprised at himself. Even in anger, Levi had never growled at anyone before. Humans didn’t growl. Monsters did.

Well then, at least he was in the right place. And he wasn’t staring wide-eyed like a startled cat anymore, which was always a plus.

“You have a nice face,” Levi admitted, the words falling from his mouth completely out of his control, “but that won’t stop me from stabbing you.”

He refused to let himself react to his own words, forcing his mind to focus only on the danger in front of him.

Had he really just half-complimented a spider? He had. What kind of mixed up first impression was he going for here?

That first part had to be the heat talking, Levi thought. He hoped it was the heat talking. Either that or he was becoming well and truly warped, although Levi figured that dark forests and fear and spider tranquiliser could do that to a person.

Thinking of his heat, however, only served to make the raven notice that…he couldn’t feel it. Even without being completely under the influences of Eren’s sedatives, Levi couldn’t feel any pain or untoward urges. Just the occasional, barely-there pressure in his abdomen. Even that felt like it was waning gradually. Thank whatever was holy for that, too, because the only things around that Levi might have taken his lustful frustrations out on were either bundled, unconscious humans or a very large, very dangerous spider.

Yikes. His options were morally skewed and horrendous on all sides.

Levi thanked his lucky stars that he was, for the moment at least, free of heat daze. It had to be some kind of reaction or response to the couple of doses Eren had administered when he’d stung the raven. Whatever that drugging fluid was, it had Levi’s heat held safely at bay. Levi’s mind rushed through how he might obtain more of the stuff without actually being stung, because that had been awful both times around.

Blinking dumbly, he realised what he’d just been considering. Stupid, he was honestly trying to think of a way to ask this monster to amicably drug him. He’d become an actual moron. And here he sat now, in some kind of freaky staring contest with a spider.

A spider that wasn’t moving. Wasn’t even blinking.

All those eyes strained to pick up everything and anything, searching for information. What could he see? What was Levi telling him without even knowing?

Levi swiped with his arm again, scowling, and was pleased that the action at least got Eren to blink. His largest eyes focused on Levi’s face again and Levi wondered what he’d been staring at? He was reminded of his lack of clothes, his thin frame and too-pale skin. Things that spoke only of weaknesses. Advantages for his captor. Who even knew how much faster Eren was than him? In a second all options to fight at all could be taken from him.

No attempts to even inch closer were taken. Eren was just waiting there, watching him, frowning a little.

“Are you just going to stand there gawking all day? Get lost, I said.”

“You’re an insolent little thing.” Eren said to him. His smile was more a baring of his teeth than a show of amusement and it was gone within moments. “This isn’t how I planned our first conversation to start.”

The admission made Levi scoff, surprised and disbelieving. “This isn’t how I planned my escape attempt to go, but not everyone gets their way.”

Eren’s eyes shifted down to Levi’s trapped foot again. “I can see that.”

He didn’t seem bothered by the fact that Levi had tried to get away. Not so much as a twitch of reaction passed through him. At least he knew what to expect of his prisoners, Levi thought. That understanding might just have been why Levi was still alive. Eren had anticipated that he would at least try to escape, maybe even that he would try to attack him. He’d clearly had plenty of exposure to humans, but…probably only as meals. Having one able to walk around at a whim, able to find even a simple weapon to use against him, was new; Eren’s hesitation revealed as much.

But the brunet didn’t seem irritated, even faced with a scowling, flailing, cornered Omega.

Eren tilted his head, eyes considering, curious despite his wary stillness.

Levi wondered again what those orbs were working out about him, each eye too focused to be simply gazing.

“Your cave is awful.” He said, looking to see how far he could push this creature.

A snort left the brunet. “And you’ve lived in many caves before this to know that, have you?”

Eren didn’t smile, but Levi got the impression that he wanted to. The situation was too tense to let his guard down, though, and those shining eyes remained bright with attention. Eren seemed to lean forward even though he hadn’t moved an inch since Levi had threatened him, other than to speak. His mouth and constantly blinking eyes were the only parts of him that did move, every other part careful and under control. Like a monstrous statue. Frozen like the stone around them.

Eren wasn’t even _breathing_ , or else he was doing it slowly enough that Levi couldn’t detect it.

The stillness made Levi’s skin crawl. He felt that this thing could burst into action at any moment, and if he became distracted for even a second he would lose every advantage.

His current and only advantage was a single, measly stick. Things were not looking good.

“Do you feel safer waving that twig around?” Eren asked.

Okay, he was definitely breathing now. Levi didn’t trust it, Eren’s chest expanding with drawn-in air when he spoke, but the rhythm wasn’t constant. As soon as he was done speaking, Eren became statue-still once again. Almost habitual, like he was hunting Levi even now. Like if he stood there still enough, for long enough, he could convince the raven that he was just a part of the rock.

There was too much Levi didn’t know about this thing. Nothing could be assumed.

“Yes.” He answered.

His grip tightened instinctively, fingers not quite aching from the tension yet. That, too, might have been thanks to Eren, although there was no way to tell if the sedative had left Levi’s system entirely.

Eren’s eyes shone, his lip quirking. “Silly thing. Are you fast enough to _use_ it? Hmm?”

He said it with wide eyes, waiting for the ensuing action. Some sort of response or retort. No answer was forthcoming, however, and it didn’t phase the brunet. If anything it spurred his self-assurance.

“I won’t just let you have a free chance.” Eren grinned fully, wide and unsettling and gone again in a moment. “If you make that decision, you should know what to expect. Are you fast enough?”

The longer Levi hesitated, the less likely it would be that either he or Eren even _believed_ he would make a move.

Levi’s heart hammered a little faster at the challenge but he refused to be the first one to strike. He’d already decided that he wasn’t going to, not if he could help it. There was a chance (albeit a slim one) for things to go somewhat peacefully, but only if no violence was instigated. Levi couldn’t afford to waste his only chance at freedom, at survival.

Eren was still waiting for an answer or burst of action, poised to dodge or lunge if necessary. He blinked, eyes bright and alert.

“Don’t try anything, you big ugly brute.” Levi warned, eyes narrowing.

“I haven’t even moved.” Eren said, and he hadn’t budged an inch. “Can’t we sit and sort this out like civilised people?”

Levi pointedly chose not to mention that Eren was not technically a _person_ , as much as he was a _thing_. The brunet made an obvious effort to move, great legs shifting and scuffing the rock as he redistributed his weight. Like he’d noticed how unsettled Levi had been talking to a living statue, finally attempting to fix the problem. Moving, but not advancing. Watching Levi with all his eyes, every orb narrowed in on the way the raven tracked his movement and kept a now-steady aim, following Eren with the sharpened point of his stick.

“I don’t know, _Eren_ ,” Levi answered finally and he arched a brow, “can we?”

He was only too aware of the way Eren perked up at the sound of his name, eyes wide for a moment. Levi was tempted to say the title again, just to measure the reaction. He was already sure enough, though.

Eren tilted his head, biting back the urge to say something. He let out a rush of air instead, that rhythmic, rattlesnake chitter caught up in the noise.

“Put down the stick so we can talk, little one.” The brunet tried again, just this side of pleading.

“Why?” Levi pressed, wondering. Why was this beast putting up with this shenanigan? “Are you scared of a little twig? Is this too distracting for you, Eren?” He tried out the name again, couldn’t help it.

And the flex of fingers, the frustrated pleasure, was even more obvious this time around.

Eren _liked_ hearing his name. There was a chance that he’d never even heard it out of any other mouth but his own. Living in a place like this, it wouldn’t be surprising.

But something else was becoming clear, too, and that was that Eren was not used to having to be patient.

Eren pointed one, long finger at Levi’s stick. “That tiny thing couldn’t even scratch me.” He said, bypassing Levi’s taunting questions. Eren folded his arms then and raised an eyebrow. “Knowing that much, there’s no reason for you to keep holding it.”

His upper lip pulled back in another, odd sneer. A mildly defensive show of teeth.

Levi was beginning to believe that Eren had never had a weapon pointed at him before by one of his captives. Possibly even that he’d never faced off against a human on any sort of fair terms. Normally the beast would have his webs for that, stealing all advantage from his victims. And even here, Levi was caught in a minor way. But stuck was stuck.

Despite knowing that, Eren…clearly didn’t know how to proceed until his prey was disarmed. For all his speed and strength and venom, all Eren had done was stomp about and bristle. He was posturing even now, expectant.

Eren looked at Levi like the raven would come to his senses, realise his disadvantages, and hand himself over.

Levi glowered and shook his head like a stubborn, mistrusting child. “You’ll sting me again.” He accused. “Or worse.”

At that, Eren downright sighed. “I don’t want to sedate you, little one.” The brunet all but groaned, like that much should have been obvious. Like he hadn’t stung Levi _twice_ already. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up all this time so that we could talk, face to face.”

It seemed unlikely. Heck, it seemed downright stupid. The only reason Levi could think of that this spider hadn’t eaten him right away was because he was hardly even snack material compared to some of the other villagers that had been caught. Levi might be munched on for dessert, maybe then used as a toothpick.

But no, Eren insisted that he had _spared_ Levi’s life. That he had questions. And he hadn’t killed Levi yet…so maybe the gigantic, freakish bastard really was telling the truth?

Levi bit at his lip, worrying the skin there while his hands twisted around his stick. His options hadn’t changed at all. There were three: attack right now and try to flee, keep stalling and wait for Eren’s patience to run out, or…surrender and answer questions.

The last choice held the only real chance for making it more than ten minutes alive. But where would playing interrogation even get him?

Levi swallowed, just to wet his dry throat before speaking, and he spoke slowly.

“Will you let me go if I cooperate?” The words came out measured, carefully devoid of hope.

Eren’s brow twitched, something unpleasant flickering in his eyes.

“No.”

Of course not. Eren hadn’t tried to lie to him, though. Probably couldn’t have pulled it off convincingly enough for Levi to believe it.

“I appreciate your honesty.” Levi said, tone flat.

He hadn’t expected much, but it was still disappointing to have his final hope of bargaining his way out stamped out.

Eren’s features twitched at Levi’s inflectionless words, frustration showing.

“Please, just behave.” Eren managed to sound imploring through his irritation. “I only have questions for you for now.”

The spider’s hands hovered, betraying Eren’s confliction – make a grab for Levi, or try to talk him down? It had been Eren’s problem from the moment he’d realised Levi was armed.

Even hesitating at all had given Levi power. This odd, tense stand-off should never have happened and yet there they were. An upstart Omega and a monster fumbling for control in his own lair.

“Will you come down from there and stop acting like some cornered, wild thing?” Eren tried to reason with him.

Levi glowered. “No. You can talk to me from there.”

He nodded at where Eren stood, a silent indication that the spider should remain there.

Eren squinted. “Give me the stick, then.”

“I’d like to keep it.”

“I’ll _bring_ you a better stick!” Eren threw his hands up as he said it, exasperation defeating his patience. The sudden motion of it all had Levi jumping, silent and startled, and Eren made a visible effort to breathe and calm himself before he continued. “Just please put it down for now and let’s treat this like a truce.”

Levi blinked at him, feeling spectacularly stupid as he parroted back. “A truce?”

Eren latched onto that, the only chance that had come up to build a compromise that would suit them both.

“Yes,” the brunet nodded, making sure to hold eye contact even while Levi flailed trying to pick just one of Eren’s eyes to look at, “a truce. No biting, stinging, or stabbing while we talk. Does that sound good, little one?”

Levi couldn’t believe how earnest the damned, oversized critter looked, his eyes so wide, a concerned frown building on his face. Later it would seem comical, how worried this monster had seemed laying out terms that sounded fair and hoping that Levi would agree.

With Eren looking almost…scared…Levi decided to push his luck.

“No webs, either.” He said, outright. A demand, almost.

One of Eren’s eyes twitched. Levi almost started to doubt his decision before he was answered.

“No webs.” Eren agreed, reluctance written all over his face.

The raven almost pinched himself, sure that he was still unconscious somewhere.

“Or weird, venom-y sneak attacks.” He ventured.

Eren huffed. “I already said I wouldn’t bite or sting you. Are you done negotiating now?”

“What if I think of something else later?” Levi asked, one brow quirking up.

“Feel free to mention it.”

Levi thought about it. He hadn’t expected things to go so well, and he hadn’t even lost a limb yet. There wouldn’t be a better chance than this for the both of them to have a somewhat agreeable introduction.

“Alright.” Levi said.

And that was that. A deal struck – a ceasefire.

Levi almost felt good about it.

“In that case…” Eren trailed off, gaze shifting minutely.

He held out a hand, palm up, and flexed his fingers in waiting. All eight of his eyes were trained on where Levi clutched his prize stick in front of him, the weapon tiny and ridiculous even in his small hands.

Levi paled at the thought of actually handing over the twig, and he rushed the process, almost throwing the stick Eren’s way before pressing himself back against the rock.

Eren caught the offered kindling. Wide eyes flicked immediately to Levi’s face, the manic orbs softening into something pleased. Lazy, almost. Eren leaned back out of his crowding stance, tipping his palm so that the stick resting there rolled and clattered to the ground. He moved, each step almost sluggish now that he had his way. Closer, closer. Eren reached out, favouring his human hands rather than disturbing Levi with the other, more alien set which were currently tucked away and out of sight. Nimble fingers plucked at webbing that trapped Levi’s foot, one hand settling over the raven’s ankle in a firm hold while the other peeled away the sticky strands.

He never stopped watching, Levi realised as he sat there, tense. Even while Eren’s hands worked, his eyes were busy monitoring the raven like he thought Levi had some other, nasty trick up his sleeve.

Neither of them made a move to attack, though. Suspicion hung about them in the air, a wariness of one another.

Eren’s hands were rather warm, Levi noticed. He hated to admit that the sensation was welcome, if only because of the cave’s chilly temperature.

“There.” Eren said, pulling the last of the web away. “How’s that, little one? All better?” He smiled, hopeful.

He also started eating the stray web he’d just detached from Levi’s foot, munching away like it wasn’t a bizarre thing to do.

Levi chose not to remark on it.

“Fine.” Levi answered instead, trying to ignore the odd sight before him. “It’s fine. Thank you.”

“Shall we talk now?” Eren said around the last bit of web in his mouth.

Disgusting.

“Would it kill you to have some manners?” Levi snapped, surprising himself.

Eren seemed surprised, too, blinked all his eyes together as he startled at the outburst. “I’m sorry?”

Levi didn’t apologise, though, as Eren could use a lesson in manners.

“You should be. Close your mouth when your chew, you filthy animal, and wipe your damned face.”

He half expected to be ignored, or even punished somehow for being so brazen all of a sudden. But the brunet closed his mouth and swallowed, brought a hand up to brush away stray strands, and Levi could see him visibly think twice about licking his fingers.

Eren chose, wisely, not to do that. He fidgeted, unsure of himself, and swallowed again in a way that probably didn’t have anything to do with what he’d just eaten.

“May we…talk now..?” Eren asked, watching for Levi’s approval.

Levi almost smirked. Almost.

He raised an eyebrow instead. “A ‘please’ would have been nice to hear in there somewhere.”

It was downright outrageous. The look Eren was giving him, even with all the extra eyes, was clearly baffled. He was thoroughly out of his depth, and Levi couldn’t believe his luck.

He was actually managing to make a monster uncomfortable. The next step had to be godhood. Divinity. A complete control over life, death, and everything.

Or maybe (more likely) he was just lucky.

“Please?” Eren repeated, frowning.

Levi nodded. “Yes. Please. It’s what decent people say when they’re asking for something.”

Eren raised a brow, the expression strange. “Am I what you’d call a decent person?”

“You could damned well start acting like one,” Levi snapped, because otherwise he might have snorted at the bemused look on Eren’s face and ruined his stern façade, “or we won’t be getting very far with your questions.”

That got through the brunet’s thick skull and Eren fretted quietly while Levi got himself into a more comfortable position on top of the boulders. He felt ridiculous, stark naked atop a rock and ordering around a creature five times his size. What would his mother think?

Levi liked to think that she would have been proud. Her runt of a son had finally found something to excel at…unfortunately that something happened to be bossing around monsters.

Not exactly something for the village to be proud of.

“Are you going to ask me anything,” Levi challenged from his perch, “or are we going to stare at each other all day?”

It was still day, although what time of day was hard to tell from down here. Levi wondered if it would be worth the effort of asking.

“You’re surprisingly talkative all of a sudden.” Eren observed.

“Consider yourself lucky.” Levi retorted.

More like unlucky. There was a reason why Levi was usually quiet: people generally didn’t like him very much when he did get talkative. Eren was quickly realising that. To his credit, he didn’t look bitter or resentful. Eren just looked…nervous? It was laughable – what did this beast have to be nervous about?

“What may I call you?” Eren asked, shifting his weight warily.

Testing the waters, almost. Trying his luck.

Without knowing what Eren was wary of, Levi couldn’t know what power he’d just been landed with. But there was a control he felt over the situation that hadn’t been present before he’d been able to speak and move of his own accord.

“Levi.” He supplied his name, watching Eren’s eyes grow a little wider.

The brunet mustn’t have expected Levi to be forthcoming with his answers right away. Even through his caution, Eren looked pleasantly surprised.

“I haven’t heard that one before. Levi.” Eren tested out the new word, finding it easy enough to get out. He nodded, venturing a smile that bordered on polite. “I like it. Welcome to my home, Levi.”

Maybe Levi’s snapping about manners was really having some sort of effect?

Levi blinked once, casting a brief glance over the cave that was Eren’s home, and looked back to Eren.

With as much sarcasm as he could get away with, Levi replied. “Charmed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses why Eren is anxious?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions and answers.
> 
> Eren admits something. Levi is not amused.

“What _are_ you?”

It was the first question that Eren asked, too curious to even bother with small talk or simpler queries. He backed up, just a little to give Levi the space he apparently deserved. The trepidation was still present, the caution that Levi thought might even be some attempt at respect.

He would need to ask about that himself if his own turn for questioning arrived.

Eren waited with baited breath, eyes wide and eager, like a child ready for some old tale of adventure. That suited Levi just fine, since his answer was mostly from old stories anyway.

Levi pressed himself back against the stone wall behind him, crossed his legs atop the boulder, and started.

“My people call it Omega, this condition, and it can happen to anyone.” The raven began, gesturing to himself. “I don’t know the true meaning, but even before I was one it meant outcast in the stories.”

“And what is an _Omega_?” Eren asked, testing out the new word with intrigue.

“A kind of human.” Levi answered. “It’s said that Omegas used to be more common, and that with their help and increased fertility mankind was able to boost its population.”

Eren sneered silently at that and Levi shrugged.

“Yeah, it’s their fault that humans became so many, so quickly.” Levi admitted, making a helpless gesture. “If it helps, they didn’t do it on purpose? It’s just kind of in Omega instinct to pop out as many babies as they can, they can’t help the way that they are.” He sighed.

A frown pulled at Eren’s features as he puzzled through the information, making his own conclusions no doubt.

“So…you’re a breeder for your species?” The arachnid asked, too innocently for it to have been meant as an insult.

Levi stiffened at the label regardless of the intent behind it, leaning forward to glare daggers in Eren’s direction.

“Hey.” Levi’s scowl deepened. “Mind who you’re calling names, bug eye. I’ll have you know that’s highly offensive and I’d slap you if I could reach your damned face.”

Really it was probably a stupid idea to insult Eren back, not to mention the challenge to hit him. Levi wouldn’t really do it. Probably. Actually come to think of it that sounded a lot like something he’d do.

Eren’s eyes widened like he wasn’t sure how he’d managed to upset the raven and he backpedalled. “I-I’m sorry. I take back what I said, please don’t be angry.”

The brunet shrank in on himself, an attempt to look smaller and non-threatening.

It didn’t really work; Levi was still feeling pretty threatened just being in the same place as him. He wondered at Eren’s odd changes in attitude. At the slightest change in situation Eren could go from threatening to almost cowering, from flirting to mollifying.

“Will you tell me more about Omegas?” Eren asked, looking very much like a scolded youth.

Levi raised an eyebrow, watching the reaction it got from the spider. Wide eyes and a worried expression. Eren chewed on his lower lip anxiously, like he really thought Levi had the guts to tell him no and to get stuffed while he was at it. Ha.

Good one.

“It’s a rare state,” Levi continued, “some change that a few unlucky humans are born with that makes them more able to conceive and give birth, without complications. Regardless of who you are, when you’re of age it triggers some need for family. It isn’t obvious right away, which is why it took me this long to figure out I even was one.”

The raven paused, giving some time for the information to sink in. He watched the confusion that knitted Eren’s brows together, the brunet going over what he’d just been told more than once if his silence was any indication.

But it did sink in and Eren looked positively delighted.

A little too delighted for Levi’s liking. The raven glared at Eren, stern eyes narrowed at the brunet’s sudden smile. It did nothing to dim the light in Eren’s eyes, all of them twinkling in contemplation.

“More able to conceive?” He asked.

There was a cheeky note to Eren’s tone that made Levi’s eye twitch in frustration.

Levi’s eyes narrowed at the implication. “A lot more able, obviously.”

Obviously since he was male, and yet here he was presumably being flirted at in some roundabout way by an overgrown garden critter. In a _cave_. All because of some hidden womb that had gone unnoticed for years suddenly decided to make itself known.

Just great.

“So you can have a big family.” Eren shrugged, his mouth quirking up at one side. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

It didn’t sound bad when Eren put it like that. Family wasn’t something that Levi had thought about much, being too young to be a husband and too uninterested in the subject to really dwell on it. He didn’t particularly enjoy children. Levi had helped to care for many of the neighbourhood brats, his own siblings, and it was no picnic. Even birth, the few that he’d had to help out with, freaked him out. Levi had never envied women, having to carry around some life-leeching twerp for months before the baby, or sometimes babies, literally tore their way out of some mothers.

Mother Nature needed to invest in some stretchier tissue to build vaginas with, that was for damned sure. Either that, or make babies smaller. Geez.

Levi knew one thing now that he was an Omega, and that was that he wouldn’t be popping out any brats anytime soon. Myths be damned. According to the stories, Levi should have been perfectly equipped to conceive and give birth smoothly.

How? He didn’t understand it. If it was dangerous for even the half of their species that were designed to have babies, why would it be any safer for him? Without even the same parts, at least externally.

“You think it’s bad?” Eren asked, bringing Levi’s attention back to him and the topic at hand.

The raven huffed. “It isn’t that bad, I guess, if you’re a woman who’s meant to be having babies.” Levi said, voicing his thoughts. “When that sort of thing is normal, people generally don’t question it. But people tend to get freaked out pretty fast when normal starts to wander away.”

Understanding passed in Eren’s eyes . “I see. And this condition…its effects have taken normal from you?”

“Did you strain yourself figuring that one out?” Levi snapped, feeling strangely guilty about losing his temper afterwards. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that, I’m just…”

_Exhausted, frightened, staring into the unknown…_

“I’m sorry.” Levi said again, rubbing at his temples. He looked up, finding Eren watching him without expression. “Ask me another one, I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know why he was apologising so much. Maybe because Eren hadn’t eaten him yet, hadn’t tried to kill or torture or take advantage of him? Right now this monster of the forest was more peaceful than any of the villagers that had driven Levi here.

It was mean of him to shout when he’d been treated…surprisingly well.

Eren was still creepy, but he couldn’t help that without having had much human contact. Levi could do him the decency of not losing his temper.

“Why were your people hunting you?” Eren asked after a moment, letting the raven calm down. “Was it because of this Omega incident?”

Levi nodded. “It’s not a very accepted state of being.”

“Why not? Aren’t your people glad to find willing wombs?”

“Willing wombs.” Levi repeated, scoffing. “It’s not that kind of world, Eren.”

“It isn’t? Then how does your kind establish partnership? How do you court?”

Levi sighed. “Man sees woman. Man marries woman. Woman cooks, cleans, and conceives until, oh I don’t know, death?” The raven shrugged at Eren’s expression of disgust. “Humans aren’t a pretty race.”

“That’s barbaric.” Eren said, his tone thick with disbelief.

“It kind of is.” Levi admitted. “And we like to think we’re so sophisticated.” He gave a single, humourless laugh. “Why, how do your kind do it?”

“It doesn’t always end well…” Eren said uneasily, “but our males are far more respectful than your brutes, I’m sure! My kind win our desired mate’s favour and if they’re hungry or upset with our efforts afterwards we even become sustenance. It’s unfortunate, but beneficial to the females who have to protect the young.”

Eren said it carefully, but with a certain pride like being eaten could really be a useful way to die.

“Well good for you.” Levi praised dryly. “I like a man who offers himself up as sustenance after sex.” He joked.

At least it was meant as a joke.

Eren didn’t seem to think it was very funny. In fact, he flushed. Colour bloomed on Eren’s face and he covered his eyes with a hand, peering through parted fingers like Levi was being forward. The spider shifted about on his legs almost bashfully for a moment. He swallowed and blinked all his eyes at the raven, nervous but determined.

“Do you?”

Levi blinked back. “Why me?” He muttered to the room, casting a searching glance at the stone ceiling.

They avoided each other’s gaze for a few, long moments while Levi considered just how wrong it seemed to go cannibal on your partner. What kind of fucked up experiences had Eren had over the years? Damn.

Eren seemed to steel himself, his voice rising again.

“How can you conceive?” The brunet asked.

It seemed like a very personal question, but Eren didn’t have many notions of what was appropriate to say aloud and what wasn’t. Levi didn’t berate him for it.

“The usual way, I guess, with some differences. There’s a cycle called heat; it’s like a scheduled mating season, like what animals go through.” Levi waited to see if Eren understood and found the spider nodding. “Omegas have these heats every so often, even I’m not sure when it’ll happen yet, and that’s when I can conceive.”

“Only when this _heat_ is ongoing?” Eren questioned, frowning.

“Yes. I’m not actually sure about the women Omegas…we’re meant to only be fertile during heats, but I mean they have all the right parts? Maybe they can go at it all the time?” Levi sighed and shook his head. “I’ve honestly never heard about that. But heat, it can cause a lot of trouble for a village. Naturally, having someone crazed out of their mind trying to get everyone to fuck them is frowned upon.” He scoffed. “I was entering my heat the night I fell into your web. That’s why I was in the forest.”

Eren looked surprised, arching up straighter on his legs. “You fled instead of trying to sate your needs?”

Another shrug. “There were people with shovels and pitchforks coming for me. I felt more like running than sticking around.” Levi admitted.

“Chased out of your own home.” Eren sounded sad, but he looked a little odd suddenly. Confused, maybe? “You picked a dangerous place to run.”

Levi narrowed his eyes at the statement. “I can see that, thank you.” He bit out the words.

Eren frowned at him. He shifted a little closer, not by much. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Eren said, and it was the last thing that Levi had expected to hear.

He blinked dumbly, trying to sink back into suspicion again. “Right.”

Earnest eyes pinned him in place and Eren brought up his hands as if to pacify some doubt in Levi. That was probably exactly what the brunet was doing.

“I’m saying so because you look like you’re thinking of running.” Eren said, sounding a little offended. Maybe a little disheartened. “You do that a lot, actually. It’s not necessary; you’re safe here.”

Levi sneered, mistrusting. “You’re a lunatic.”

“You don’t believe me.” Eren sighed, dragging a hand over his face. “Have I hurt you since you’ve been here?”

“I can think of a couple of times, yeah.”

“What?”

“Poisoning someone kind of counts in the hurting category, genius.”

“That was a sedative, not _poison_.” The arachnid hissed, his frustration breaking through. “I did that so you _wouldn’t_ get hurt. I’m reserving the poison for your townspeople over there, but not till I’m hungry.” Something flashed in Eren’s eyes then and he looked worried, like he had before when Levi had been waving a stick in his face. “Oh…hungry, oh dear…” The brunet trailed in some sort of realisation that he didn’t care to share.

The brief rant had ceased, apparently Eren was done for the moment as he stared off into space with concern.

“Eren? Eren, I’m coming down now, so don’t freak out or…or I’ll kick you in the knee, or something.” Levi threatened vaguely.

Did spiders have knees? He didn’t know. All he did know was that his backside was getting numb from sitting on stone all this time and he started shuffling to the edge of the boulder.

Eren scuttled off into the shadows before Levi even came down from his rock, making the raven jump from the sudden burst of movement. Even seeing Eren moving _away_ from him was startling. Levi glared after the beast but lost sight of him in the shadows, hearing Eren scraping about in the dark ominously doing who knew what. It probably didn’t matter; the arachnid was clearly scatterbrained. Apparently left in peace for the moment, Levi made his careful climb downwards, stretching to find footholds. The last thing he needed was to slip, crack his head on the rock, and die. Levi’s feet touched the ground, a shock of cold contact, and he shivered.

Movement from the dark announced Eren’s reappearance.

He came forward slowly with a small, furry bundle cradled in one arm, the other busy sweeping great curtains of web out of his path. The more human set of his eyes were wide, anxious in their focus and staring right at Levi. It was an odd expression. Eren looked at Levi like the scrawny human might try to rush him. It was absurd, and came forward nonetheless until he was standing before the waiting raven.

Even standing straight, Levi was dwarfed by this beast. He had to crane his neck just to keep eye contact, which was promptly broken when Eren held out a hand.

The furry offering he held out to Levi turned out to be a rabbit. How Eren had managed to catch one without his webs being all over it, Levi did not know. But the brunet offered one now, holding onto the rabbit by its ears where strong fingers gripped them, a tanned arm extended as if presenting some sort of prize.

Levi blinked, taken aback. “Am I supposed to do something with that?” He asked, looking up at Eren at a loss of what to do.

They’d been in the middle of an _almost_ argument, and now the brunet was giving Levi food? It was turning out to be a bizarre kind of day.

Eren frowned. “You…” he paused, looking at Levi like he was either stupid or, perhaps, mocking him, “…you eat it? I thought you might be hungry…it’s been two days. How often do your kind usually eat?”

It took an effort not to react to the news.

_It’s been two days._

Levi wasn’t sure he managed to keep his alarm off his face completely. It hadn’t felt like two days, but at the same time it had – a foggy mess of hours and unconsciousness. At least, Levi thought, he knew how long he’d been here. And now he had a vague idea of how long Eren’s venom could keep him under…at least whatever half-dosage Eren stung him with. Less than a day of unconsciousness per dose seemed to be the timeframe, and that was vague enough. Levi didn’t know how far away from the forest’s edge they were, how long they had travelled, or whether Eren had stung him again on that first trip to make it there.

He only had two bruises to show for it, though, and that was promising.

“Levi?” Eren was still asking, the concern in his voice growing. “How often? Once a day? More?”

“Usually three,” Levi managed to say, blinking at the swaying offering that dangled in front of his face, “unless we can do better than that. It’s usually about three.”

Three meals a day was fantastic in Levi’s opinion. In the Winter is was less, and food was scarcest in the colder months which made mealtimes even less of an enjoyable time.

The arachnid blinked in surprise at Levi’s answer. “So many times? I didn’t think. Here.” Eren all but shoved the carcass under Levi’s nose. “Take it.”

Levi swatted the offering away, more than a little disturbed. “You think I’m going to just munch on a raw rabbit?”

“Raw?” Eren questioned, tilting his head in confusion.

“You don’t cook things around here?” Levi asked, surprised until he remember that monsters didn’t exactly go about collecting pots and pans.

The brunet sniffed, offended. “I thought you would be more appreciative. I don’t normally chase down food.”

So that’s how he’d managed to get a hold of a rabbit? An actual hunt, rather than the ambush tactics that Eren was probably more familiar with.

And as Levi considered the offer…he realised it was actually quite sweet that Eren had thought to bring him food. He must have been returning from the hunt earlier, only to return to find Levi wielding a poorly crafted weapon.

Eren said he didn’t want to hurt Levi, he brought him food in the only way he knew, and Levi had been so rude to him. The situation was absurd. Levi actually felt bad for how he had behaved around a monster that had essentially kidnapped him. There had to be something severely wrong with him. But Levi couldn’t help whatever it was that made him apologise next.

“I’m sorry.” He said, probably the most he’d ever apologised in his life. Levi reached out and took the rabbit from Eren, wrinkling his nose a little as he held it. Levi wiped that expression off his face, however, when he saw how pleased Eren was at his acceptance. “I’m starving, and…thank you. But I can’t eat this raw.”

Eren cocked his head, his eyes traveling from Levi to the rabbit to Levi again.

“How do you usually eat it?” He asked, intrigued.

With his free hand, Levi made a helpless gesture. “Well a fire would help.” He said like it was obvious.

The response he got was immediate and unpleasant. Eren’s eyes flashed, distaste and maybe even a flickering of unease twisting his features. Eren bared his teeth, leaning back, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“I don’t like fire.” He said, clipped.

“Well that’s too bad, because without it I guess I’ll just have to keel over and die.” Levi retorted, hissing at his own short temper. He held up a mollifying hand and tried again in a less hostile tone. “Eren. I’m sorry you don’t like fire. I’m going to need to make one, though, if I’m going to be able to eat. If I eat this,” he held up the rabbit for Eren to see, “without cooking it, I’ll get sick. I might get very, very sick. Is that what you want? Is that what you went to all this effort for?”

A sound of frustration caught in Eren’s throat and he half turned, stalking a few steps away in tantrum. His arms were crossed when he turned around again.

“No, I don’t want to make you sick.” Eren said, peeved. “How…how do you make a fire?”

The question made Levi assume that Eren really didn’t know. He was gentler in his explanation.

“I’ll need wood.” He said, voice quiet. “Smaller stuff to get it started, kindling. Maybe some old leaves.”

Eren looked up at him, moody but paying attention. “How much will you need?” He asked, then mumbled. “It’s not going to be…big, is it?”

It was a weakness that Levi could have exploited easily. Looking at the wary arachnid, he found that he didn’t want to take advantage of him. The way all those eyes looked at him, dark and shining and wide with worry, made Levi feel bad for even needing a fire in the first place.

“I can keep it small.” He promised the brunet. “Just an armload or two of sticks and some logs will do. Dry, if you can help it, and bring some bark as well. Please.”

Eren left with a quiet murmur of “alright” and a few backwards glances.

In the sudden absence of his host, Levi was left to pick his way carefully through the web maze to find a safe spot to build a fire. He would have to ask Eren whether or not his webs were flammable when the brunet returned. With a fire, there would be smoke. Levi knew this and he didn’t want to clog up Eren’s cave with the stuff.

He poked around, looking for a place that was dry and out of the way. It was slow going. Levi almost tripped face first into a net of webs and he could have imagined the look Eren would have given him if he’d returned to find Levi suspended and tangled.

Eren brought back tinder in stages, only collecting one group of things at a time. It was adorable, like a child told to bring sticks.

The bark came first, great strips of it ripped off some ancient tree no doubt. It was dry, an outer layer that had probably been peeling away. Eren had climbed down through the above entrance with the stuff and dumped them on the ground for the raven to use however he saw fit. Levi was sitting, ripping the sheets of bark into smaller, more manageable pieces by the time Eren returned with the first armful of sticks. There was already smoke when the second load of wood came in, smaller logs and branches this time.

Eren dumped the wood and skulked off to the furthest edge of his cave from the little fire Levi coaxed to life, even though the raven was careful to build the fire in a corner. He built it carefully, blowing onto little coals until other sticks caught fire. Levi had settled for making his fire under the gaps in Eren’s ceiling, right at the edge of the wall so that he was directly below the high entrance. The smoke would escape that way, and not simply fill the cave. Still it wouldn’t be smart to keep a fire going underground for too long.

Better to cook the food quickly and put out the flames before Eren got hostile.

“I don’t suppose you have a knife?” Levi asked, poking at his growing fire when he realised he needed to be able to skin his offering. “A sharp rock, maybe?”

It would be a pain in the ass if he had to use a rock, but at this point Levi’s hunger had made itself known. He’d pull the fur from the rabbit with his own fingers if it came down to it.

There were sounds of movement somewhere in the cave. Eren had heard him , at least. He was probably looking for a sharp-edged rock that very minute. Levi wasn’t looking forward to skinning his food, but he was looking forward to eating it. His last meal had been days ago. Really, it was a miracle he hadn’t fallen over and cracked his skull open by this point.

“Your webs won’t catch fire, will they?” Levi asked as the thought occurred to him again.

Something clattered to the ground next to Levi, loud enough that it made him jump. He glared up at Eren, having not heard his silent approach, but risked glancing down at what had been dropped.

A knife. An actual, proper hunting knife.

“No.” Eren said in stern reply to his question.

“Is this yours?” Levi had to ask, picking up the blade by the hilt.

The weapon was heavy in his hand, a good quality tool.

Eren scowled at the fire rather than looking at Levi as he answered. “If its owner won’t be using it, then I guess it’s mine.” He hissed at the flames when the fire crackled.

Levi took a risk and followed the urge to rest a hand on the nearest of Eren’s legs. It was meant to be a brief comfort. A silent thank you for the knife and apology for having to bring something feared into Eren’s home. Instead Levi became intrigued by the fine hairs he felt under his palm, soft instead of course as he had assumed. It really was like peach fuzz.

And oh, he was petting the spider. Oh no.

Eren was staring at him with something between surprise and confusion. He wasn’t complaining, though.

Levi cleared his throat a little awkwardly and withdrew his hand. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

The raven gestured to the knife, the food, the fire he’d been allowed to build. “Take your pick.” Levi said.

Eren just continued to stare at him, his eyes blinking at odd times, like he wasn’t sure why Levi would be thanking him for anything.

“This belonged to one of your pursuers.” Eren pointed to the blade Levi was turning over in his hands. “Do you mind?”

“No.” Levi didn’t mind. He glanced up at Eren, the arachnid scowling again at the fire, and sighed. “Skin this for me?”

Sparing his life, bringing him home, and offering food…Levi had an uneasy feeling about it all. For a monster, Levi figured Eren was being spectacularly tame.

The brunet eyed the rabbit and the knife that Levi held up to him, calm and expectant like he knew Eren wouldn’t refuse him.

Moments later they were side by side in silence. Eren stood nearby, slicing skin and fur away while Levi added more sticks to feed the flames. Quiet, and not quite uncomfortable. It was nice to feel warm again, Levi thought. He held his hands up to the yellowed glow and sighed, relishing the heat. For a day in the forest, things weren’t going all that badly. Levi was warm. The promise of food was only minutes away. And he even had a moody, disagreeable form of company.

After all the panic and fear of the past couple of days, Levi almost felt peaceful.

Almost. Except for the confusion. All the damned confusion.

He ate in silence, refusing to let Eren try the food when asked.

“Trust me, I’m only eating this because I’m starving.” Levi assured the pouting arachnid. “Without seasoning, it’s just tough and tasteless meat. I’m doing you a favour by not giving you any, really I am.”

Eren was surprised at the teasing, hovering around like he wasn’t sure what to do with himself while Levi ate.

The brunet made mention of Levi’s earlier shivering.

“I’m cold. It’s freezing in this place.”

Promises of furs were made. Eren seemed determined to make his guest comfortable, as strange as that seemed.

They didn't speak again until Levi was done with the fire, reluctantly allowing Eren to approach to put it out. They had no water or dirt to smother the flames with, but Eren assured Levi that he would be able to extinguish this small fire with relative ease. After stealing some last, precious moments in front of the already dying warmth, Levi surrendered and stepped back.

“You don’t like it here.” Eren said the realisation aloud as he stepped over, turning so that his back was to the fire.

The raven scoffed at him, watching mournfully as Eren shot web from his spinners onto the dying embers to put them out. The wet strands smothered the coals with a hissing sound. Steam rose up.

Levi missed the warmth already.

“You’re a proper genius, aren’t you?” He said, tone dry.

Funnily enough Eren didn’t get offended by the admission. He’d suspected it already, moving on to his follow up question.

“What don’t you like about it?”

Levi raised an eyebrow, surprised they were talking about this of all things. “It’s cold and hard and full of your shitty web. Honestly, how do you even move in here?”

Eren rolled his eyes. “It’s my web, Levi. Do you honestly think I’d get caught in my own traps?”

“I wish you would.” Levi muttered.

He got tsked at by Eren for his troubles. “That’s not very nice. Shouldn’t you be a little more respectful of your host?”

The raven shot a cynical look Eren’s way. “You lost any chance of gaining my respect when you stabbed and drugged me. Twice.” He said, then added. “Creep.”

Eren sighed. “I had to. You would have resisted.”

“Of course I would have. Have you looked in the mirror?”

Eren blinked at him. “What’s a mirror?”

Levi squinted back, unsure if the spider was joking or not. Probably not.

“Never mind.” He waved off the curious glance from Eren. “Where I come from, people don’t stab and poison each other the first chance they get.”

“It’s a long trip from that first webs all the way to here.” Eren argued his case, letting the poison comment pass this time. “It was easier to sedate you than bind you and hope for the best.”

“You bound me anyway.” Levi challenged, raising an eyebrow.

The brunet threw his hands in the air with a helpless sound. “Only so you wouldn’t fall off on the way here.” He let his arms drop. “I kept you quite safe, I promise.”

“And the second time you stung me?”

Eren shifted. “I thought you would appreciate being unconscious while I took care of a few of your…well, I suppose they weren’t your friends.”

Levi remember that they weren’t strictly alone. Several other people were, in fact, in the cave…they just weren’t as conscious as Levi was. Or as web-free.

“No.” Levi admitted in a quiet voice. “No they weren’t.”

Eren never looked away from Levi exactly, but the spider’s attention seemed to flicker for a moment, thoughts wandering over to the captured humans swinging, drugged and unconscious, in his pantry. Levi wondered how Eren felt about them? Were they only food? Enemies, maybe? Did he treat them in the same way that the villagers treated their herds of cattle; just a store of big, dumb beasts for the slaughter?

“Are you angry that they shunned you?” Eren asked, his tone suddenly gentle.

There was an understanding note in Eren’s voice that caught Levi’s attention. A sadness, even. That sort of tone didn't just come out of nowhere and Levi wondered at the reasoning behind its use. He didn't ask, because if Eren wanted to he would explain. Something about the brunet's own experiences put that understanding in his voice and Levi wondered if he wasn't the only outcast currently taking up residence in Eren's cave.

Eren was paying close attention when Levi blinked up at him finally, mouth open in surprise.

“It wasn’t their fault.” Levi heard himself say. “They were doing what they thought was right, even if it was stupid.”

Believing himself was harder than just spouting the first decent thoughts that came to mind. Levi didn't want to think badly of his former townspeople. They were just simple, peace-loving folk who wanted to stay as far from trouble as possible. The monsters of the forest were bearable. They never came out of the trees to terrorise the villagers, only causing trouble when people went to _them_. But Levi? He had been one of the people, trusted as one of them. Even if he'd had no control over becoming an Omega, it was a betrayal in their eyes.

Levi understood that, but it didn't make it any easier to swallow.

Eren didn’t look satisfied with that answer. He looked angry.

“How could you have been a threat to them?" Eren asked in an actually quiet voice. "So small, and wanting only what your new nature demanded was yours?”

“How can I be a threat to _you?”_ Levi challenged.

It clearly wasn’t what the brunet had been expecting and he paused, startled by Levi's words.

Eren stilled, gradually but certainly tense. “You’re not.” He said.

It seemed a lot like a lie. Levi made sure that Eren knew he thought so, too.

“Really? I know I shouldn’t be. I can’t help but notice that you _seem_ threatened.” Levi observed, and then leaned over, eyes wide. “Am I that scary?”

The arachnid bared his teeth, something low and unpleasant rumbling in his throat in muted displeasure. He leered closer in retaliation.

“Am _I?”_ Eren challenged right back.

“Fuck off.” Levi snorted, turning back to his fire. “You’re the scariest thing I’ve ever seen.”

It was absolutely true, and Levi found it funny that he was sitting and having meals and banter with the literal stuff of nightmares.

Eren hummed. “That is unfortunate.”

Levi fiddled with a bit of moss, still smirking at his own thoughts.

“And why is that?” He asked a little absently.

“Because I’d like to court you, Levi.”

The words took a long moment to sink in and Levi turned to frown at Eren when they did. He must have heard it wrong.

But Eren had that bashful look on his face again.

Levi narrowed his eyes. “What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you he wasn't amused.


	5. Chapter 5

The statement hung in the space between them, the faintest echo of the words petering out at the very back of the cave.

Eren watched closely for a reaction, a little nervous but unable to hide the hope in his eyes.

A big part of Levi wanted to speak, and he had quite a lot of things that he wanted to say almost immediately. But a smaller part wanted to bask in the ridiculousness of the situation. Ultimately that part won out over the urge to start shouting obscenities. There was a certain shock that one felt when being asked point blank by an eight-legged hybrid monster to be the equivalent of their wife, Levi assumed, and he was feeling all of that shock quite suddenly. He was aware of the pin drop silence that had befallen them. He should say something.

But what exactly did someone say to what had essentially been some bizarre kind of proposal?

Silence reigned, something that Eren clearly hadn’t been expecting. He shuffled his feet, which was an odd thing to watch for a creature with so many legs, but even the fidgeting wasn’t enough to make Eren break eye contact.

“Levi?” Eren ventured, careful. “Will you let me court you?”

Levi wasn’t entirely sure why Eren was the one acting like he was walking on eggshells. If he got put out with the raven at any point, it wouldn’t take much effort on Eren’s part to tear Levi limb from limb. But instead of doing any of that, stuff that Levi would have thought of as _normal monster behaviour_ , Eren was asking if it would be okay to spider flirt with him.

There probably hadn’t been a stranger occurrence.

Eren shifted again, still watching, still waiting with that eager light in his eyes.

The fucker was hoping that Levi would say yes. In what kind of world did things like this happen? Their world, apparently. Levi acknowledged that this wasn’t something that either he or Eren would consider normal. Neither of them were in their comfort zones. It seemed like a ridiculous kind of proposition – a monster politely informing someone that they were very probably going to be courted. If a previous version of Levi had heard anything of the sort, he would have laughed. But there he was, squinting up at some eight-legged monstrosity that had just kind of flirted with him.

Knowing the strangeness of monsters, Levi figured they were probably already engaged somehow.

He squinted harder.

“What the fuck do you mean you want to court me?” Levi snapped, finding his voice.

It wasn’t exactly the best question to lead with.

The raven had a feeling he knew exactly what Eren meant…at least in vague detail. Wooing was not something that Levi was familiar with even amongst other humans, never really bothering with that sort of thing when there were more important things to do. Like looking for food so his family didn’t starve.

And now a _monster_ was asking _permission_ to flirt with him.

Levi wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

A more absurd situation couldn’t exist.

The irony caught up to him and Levi almost wanted to laugh. Of course this would be why a monster would spare his life, instead of turning him into another snack to be strung up with the others.

Just his luck.

He had a thousand and one questions, none of which made it out of his mouth.

How did spiders even flirt? Oh crap, had they been doing it already? Had Levi unwittingly accepted some proposal of partnership that he hadn’t been aware of?

All he could think was that this better not have been some courtesy mention.

_Oh and by the way I’ll be courting you from now on._

No thank you.

By some miracle of nature, Eren was fretting even more than Levi and how that was possible was a total mystery to the raven. Levi was fairly sure he had all rights to panicking, and yet somehow Eren found a way to shoulder the worry instead. Ever since Levi’s last outburst, Eren had been sinking further into some kind of guilty panic. The brunet pottered around in a little semi-circle. He chewed on his lip, ringing his hands and no doubt trying to think of what he might have said wrong.

Heck, Levi wasn’t even sure Eren had said anything that was strictly _wrong_. People just weren’t that forward about their feelings in the real world, so naturally hearing something admitted so honestly threw Levi off balance. Humans were liars and cheaters, weavers of words that were pretty but false.

Eren was just a weaver, plain and simple. And he’d voiced what he wanted just as simply, like it was the easiest thing in the world to come out and announce one’s feelings.

In a world as messed up as the one they lived in, Levi wouldn’t have been all that surprised if he learned that monsters were the truly honest ones.

Speaking his mind and dealing with the consequences of that were two very different things, and Eren was learning that quickly. The brunet looked like he was one step away from a full scale panic attack. Eren’s legs were even beginning to tremble. Just slightly, but enough for Levi to notice. It shocked him just how much he could rattle this creature, without as much as a weapon on hand. Levi’s silence probably wasn’t helping but it was impossible for the raven not to admire the effect his death glare could have on even a beast of the forest.

Watching a monster panic over how it had offended a human was quite the novel experience. Levi almost felt flattered.

He also almost felt sick to his stomach, but that might have been the shock wearing off.

Then again spider standards were another mystery to him. For all Levi knew, one of them would be getting seriously shafted in this deal.

And oh, he was really considering it. The realisation sunk in, that he wouldn’t have spent this much thought on an idea he wasn’t going to try out. The new Levi wasn’t exactly a desperate man…but he did have no home, no place to return to or head to if he got free of this place. Beyond this cave, there was nothing but forest and more fiendish creatures, most of which would probably not be this generous in giving Levi any sort of warning whatsoever before they came to court him. It was more likely that he would just end up a snack. Just a meal, like he would have been if he hadn’t landed in Eren’s web. Any other spider out there might not have thought twice about killing him. In this world, there wasn’t much left for a runaway Omega. There was nothing for Levi in any of the towns and cities of mankind, being what he was now. If he tried to live any semblance of a normal life, he would be a hunted creature. Always on the run from something or someone.

Then there was Eren…who for a monster was actually pretty endearing when he stammered his way through apologies like he was doing now.

Levi wondered if that was the Omega in him talking, though.

He was a changed person, capable of very different decisions than he’d been a few days ago. Previously bad ideas were starting to look a lot like freedom.

Eren managed to bumble his way through apologies most of the way through Levi’s internal debate on whether or not this was the most messed up thing he’d ever been a part of. It was either this or the moment he’d woken up as a brand new member of the ‘fuck me’ brigade.

Levi tuned in to the latest of Eren’s faltering attempts at convincing the raven not to crack him like an egg.

“I-I just meant, I’m not s-sure how you might go about it b-but if you’d permit me, I’d like to, Levi-”

Levi snapped his fingers, claiming Eren’s attention and ending his nervous babbling. Eren stiffened, shutting his mouth in a hurry. He swallowed, an audible gulp that told Levi just how much trouble Eren thought he was in.

Well he might not have been in any specific trouble, but Levi sure as hell wanted some answers.

“Cut to the point, beastie.” The raven said, pointing a thin finger up at the waiting arachnid. “Explain, or I’ll bite your leg off.”

Eren flushed and Levi immediately regretted his choice of threat. The arachnid gave a half-embarrassed, half-eager chirp in the back of his throat, ducking his head at the involuntary response.

“Wouldn’t you do that after we..?” Eren trailed off, going a deeper shade of red.

Levi shot him a dark look. “Consider it _foreplay_.” He growled.

And that didn’t have the desired effect of moving along the conversation at all because Eren seemed even more confused and embarrassed when Levi got bossy.

He changed his mind, Eren would _clearly_ be getting the deal of his life if Levi agreed to be courted; at least he wouldn’t try to eat the twerp.

Well he might threaten to every once in a while if it made Eren react like _that_. It was probably the longest that the brunet had been quiet since they’d met. Levi _liked_ flustered Eren. He had no room to be scary when he was ruffled like this, busy trying to pace with all of those legs and avoid Levi’s eyes and dig himself into an early grave with his constant blathering. Some of the sounds he was making weren’t even words, more like the occasional lapse into pitching chitters and strange strings of clicking. It was downright bizarre and to have flustered someone into trying to talk their way out of trouble in another _language_ was a skill to be proud of.

No one had ever behaved like that because of Levi before. People tended to be more pissed off by him, or concerned by his semi-permanent ‘murder face’. Having this new type of effect on someone was strange. It was an odd kind of power that Levi was neither used to or sure what to do with.

“Eren, I don’t speak spider.” Levi said a tad gentler.

Eren stopped and gave another, quiet chirp that the raven was almost certain was an apology.

“Come on then.” Levi huffed. “Explain yourself, you little shit, in words we can both understand. _If_ you can manage that.”

There was a moment in which Eren did nothing but stare at him, all his eyes wary, almost mistrusting like he wasn’t sure Levi really was letting him off the hook. If that was what this was. But gradually a little of that hope returned to his gaze. Mostly choked by worry, but it was a start.

Levi waited, surprised at his own patience. If he could just get Eren to say something he could understand, things would be going swimmingly.

It took a few, nervous swallows but the brunet stilled finally and opened his mouth.

“Explain…my intentions?” Eren asked.

The relief at hearing proper words again made Levi close his eyes and offer a silent prayer to whatever gods were currently getting a kick out of his predicament.

“They’ll do.” Levi allowed with a nod. “For a start.”

“I-I just want to court you, please? It’s nothing sinister.” Eren tried, withering under Levi’s next glare of suspicion. “Don’t look at me like that, please.”

How Eren expected to be looked at, Levi did not know. All he knew, with his thus far limited understanding of spider hybrids, that Eren’s intentions to court him were for the most part pure. And if Eren did get mischievous in any undesirable manner…well, Levi supposed he could always threaten to chew off some obscure body part.

The raven crossed his arms, considering. “What’s in it for me?”

Eren seemed thrown off guard by the question, like he hadn’t even imagined for a moment that Levi might have needed convincing. Eight eyes blinked in tandem, betraying Eren’s surprise.

He didn’t have anything to say.

The raven’s eyebrows rose up. “Really? You can come right out and say that you want me, but you can’t think of even a single thing you might be able to offer me?” Levi clicked his tongue. “Not a very good start.”

“I c-can hunt!” Eren found his voice again, eyes wide after Levi’s comments. “You need food, warmth, shelter, like all creatures? If you let me, I can bring you all of that.”

Levi took in that information and found himself surprised. “You want to hunt for me?”

“Yes!” Eren hurried to say, creeping a little nearer.

His advance paused when Levi’s eyes flickered down to the brunet’s legs.

“Real hunting?” Levi asked. “Without webs?”

Eren raised an eyebrow, concern pulling at his features. “Do the webs bother you?”

Levi glanced around at the mess of cobwebs that cluttered up the cave and he made a face. “I don’t really see myself loving them anytime soon.” He sent the brunet a wry look. “They don’t look particularly tasty, either.”

It was Eren’s turn to make a face. “I wouldn’t make you eat them.”

“Good.” Levi nodded. “Smart decision.”

“There is more than one way to hunt, Levi.” Eren assured the raven, like Levi didn’t know that much. “I’m not so limited that I can’t provide for more than my own needs.”

It was a promising answer, Levi had to admit. Eren was willing to adapt his own style of living to make room for another life. It was sudden for them both, Levi realised. Both of their lives were being uprooted by this sudden arrival of Omegan traits, but Eren was actually striving to make something out of the change.

“Hm.” Levi narrowed his eyes in thought. “So you’ll bring me food?”

Eren nodded, almost stern in his seriousness. “I will, anything you need.”

Levi took another glance around the cave, taking in the cold scene.

“What about somewhere to sleep?” He asked, and this time he really did hope Eren would be sympathetic to him. Levi hated the cold, could never get his feet warm enough, and knew he would be utterly miserable here if he was forced to sleep on stone. “Or did you think I would be happy with bare rock?”

Eren ducked his head, sheepish or apologetic. Maybe both.

“There are items in the back of the cave, things you could look through.” The brunet said, gesturing to an area somewhere towards the back of the cave.

Levi cast a look there, seeing the columns of rock that rose up and hid other areas from view. Somewhere back there Eren must have all the possessions and personal effects of the victims of his web traps. Whenever he ate his prey, did Eren keep their things? Keepsakes, perhaps? Or some premonition that they would be useful one day.

What a stroke of luck.

“You mean things you stole from humans?” Levi asked, feeling a lot less upset about that than he probably should.

Eren seemed to notice as much. “They’re just food to me.” He admitted. “They weren’t going to be needing their things.”

Levi gave another hum. “In this case I really can’t blame you. Anyone stupid enough to wander into these woods takes their fate into their own hands.”

The raven found himself being regarded like he was some kind of curious thing.

“You’re not upset?” Eren asked, a little surprised.

Levi thought about it.

“Not if it means I might find a blanket.” He admitted.

A slow smile took over Eren’s face and he seemed relieved for the first time. “Anything you find in my stores is yours to take.”

“And clothes?” Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. “Would there be any of those included in this little bargain?”

“It’s not a bargain.” Eren huffed, looking offended. “It’s an offer. Let me be your suitor, Levi. Please, I found you. Rescued you, brought you here. Give me the chance to win you over-”

“Rescued..?” Levi cut in, frowning.

He didn’t recall anything about being rescued, least of all by this brute.

Eren frowned back at him. “You were being hunted.” He said.

Yes, obviously he had been hunted.

“I was.” Levi nodded, wary. “And I got caught because of you, if memory serves.”

Eren’s brows furrowed further. “They didn’t catch you, I did. And I brought you here to hide you from those hunters.”

Oh…so that was Eren’s first intention. Eren had found another creature that was stranded and unwelcomed by the world of humans…and he had given it shelter. Provided sanctuary for a being he hadn’t even known.

It was remarkably…well meaning.

“You didn’t even know what I was.” Levi said.

He felt rather small all of a sudden, but for once not out of fear.

Eren gave a shrug. “I wanted to find out, wanted to ask you.” He said. “If that was wrong then tell me so that I can apologise. I don’t want there to be any sort of ill will between us if you allow me the chance to win your affections.”

Oh goodness, of course Levi would stumble upon the world’s only genuinely endearing monster.

He sighed. “You have to realise this sounds ridiculous?” Levi looked up at the brunet and gestured between them. “Where I come from, monsters _eat_ humans.”

Eren gave him an odd little smile in return. “Where I come from, monsters eat monsters. And humans. And all manner of creatures. Being kin isn’t the same as being allies. I’m sure we both know that.”

Levi certainly knew that by now. “You have a point.” He conceded.

The brunet made an effort to lower himself a little, perhaps to make himself a little less intimidating or maybe just to be able to speak in a lower tone.

“We can be allies, Levi.” Eren said, and he looked so hopeful. “I can promise that I have no desire to harm you.” He sent the raven a favouring and appreciative glance. “Quite the opposite, in fact.”

Levi folded his arms over his chest, glaring up at the brunet.

“Oi, mind where you’re staring.” He chided.

“Sorry.” Eren said, not sounding all that sorry. He was curious, though. “It bothers you to be so bare, doesn’t it?”

Levi scoffed. “How’d you figure that one out?”

“There’s no reason to be ashamed.”

“Maybe not for _you_.” The raven rolled his eyes, becoming more aware of his state of undress the longer Eren saw fit to talk about it. “I wasn’t raised to walk around in just my skin.”

“Maybe you should have been raised that way.” Eren stated. “It’s clear that you were brought up in the wrong herd, scarcely knowing yourself or your needs.”

As much as he wanted to deny it, Eren was probably right about that. Humans were so dreadfully out of touch with what they actually, honestly needed. Survival had been tainted with morals and societal requirements.

“And you know my needs, do you?” Levi asked, and he had a feeling that Eren would surprise him here.

Eren answer didn’t come with words at first. Levi watched the brunet leer a little closer, eyes going a little out of focus as he observed things that the raven couldn’t detect. Eren took in a breath through his nose, nostrils flaring with whatever he picked up.

And whatever it was put a knowing look on Eren’s face, although the smugness Levi might have expected was nowhere to be seen.

“I’ve smelled the lust on you, that very first time I found you stuck in my trap.” Eren said finally, though he sounded like his words confused him. “For a moment it was…well, surprising. I’d not found a trapped human so aroused before. Once I got past that, it was obvious what your needs were.” Eren looked down at Levi with something close to pity. “The confusion in you was startling. You were so afraid, lost and stuck and wanting. I wanted to help you, even then. But obivously I couldn’t, not right away. I didn’t know what you were, what would be right, how you would need to be wooed. So I took care of your pursuers and carried you back here. By the time you were settled, the scents were fading already.”

“I think that might have been your fault, too.” Levi spoke up finally. He didn’t know if it was smart to mention it, but Eren had just landed a lot of information on him about rescues and good intentions…it felt right to confess something in return. “Your venom, whatever you gave me, I think it burned through my heat symptoms. I can’t even feel the cramps anymore.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in.

“Oh…” Eren said, and he seemed crestfallen, like he’d lost some great chance, “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m not angry.” Levi hurried to clarify. “I was going to thank you. I’ve never had a heat before, but this one…it wasn’t anything good. If I hadn’t been so panicked, so afraid of dying, I probably wouldn’t have been able to move at all.”

Eren’s eyes widened a little at the statement. “Does it hurt very much?”

Levi wrinkled his nose in distaste at the memory of running while in agony, the confusion of wanting to get away but also to find the nearest of any male genitalia to impale himself on. And that was certainly an urge he hadn’t had before.

“It felt like I was being ripped apart and crushed together at the same time.” Levi said, shuddering at the memory. “So believe me when I say that I’m grateful to you.”

And he was. For relieving him of his heat without the obvious and more straightforward method of fucking like rabbits, Levi was grateful. He didn’t know what it would be like. Had nothing to compare it to. And even feeling the pain of his heat had left Levi feeling oddly vulnerable. It was not a state he desired to be in faced with even on potential lover, let alone a whole village. Levi could imagine the horror that would have awaited him when he’d come back to himself, had he spent his heat being passed around once-familiar people. He could imagine the feelings of disgust, the self-loathing. Never again would he have been able to feel clean, or be able to trust himself. Levi knew about the emotional bonds that Omegas were said to have formed with their partners. It would have made him sick to his stomach to know that so many people had that advantage over him.

The forest seemed like a welcoming place in comparison to the might-have-beens of Levi’s past.

Eren was considering him from where he stood nearby, observing the raven to see if he was being truthful. And apparently Eren came to the conclusion that yes, Levi really was grateful to him.

“I see.” Eren said, and he gave a deciding nod. “You’re welcome, Levi, although I am sorry to have missed your heat.”

It was strange how Eren seemed to really mean it. He wasn’t one of the seedy creepers that had chased after Levi, didn’t want him in heat to use and abuse him. It occurred to Levi that Eren might understand his trust issues a lot better than most people would. The brunet’s concern was for his mate eating him, a little different from Levi’s concern of being manipulated but close enough. They both had mistrust ingrained in their very beings.

Perhaps they could overcome that together?

“You know…” Levi ventured, “it’s not like there was only going to be just the one. This Omega business is a lifelong burden.”

Eren perked up instantly at that. “Really?”

Well the brunet was enthusiastic at least. It seemed a little imprudent to be so eager for a process that would be so uncomfortable on Levi’s part but the raven was too weary to argue much. He was all talk by this point.

“Oi, don’t look so damned pleased about it.” Levi huffed. “You wouldn’t have liked me very much if I’d been conscious when I was still in heat. I don’t handle pain well. It makes me mean.”

“Meaner than you already are?” Eren teased, fucking _teased_ him with mischief glowing in all his eyes.

Levi didn’t know if he’d have the energy to deal with this cheeky little fucker.

“I’d punch your sorry face in if I could make myself get any closer to you.” He said, but there wasn’t much bite to the words.

Eren seemed to take them to heart anyway and he frowned a little. “Am I that repulsive to you?”

“You’re not…” Levi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to find a way he could explain himself without just confusing the both of them even more, “it’s a complicated feeling. I’m scared of you, you stupid spider, and that’s a pretty big difference from being repulsed.”

“Scared?”

Levi sent the brunet a flat look. “Eren, if you hadn’t noticed…you’re fucking enormous.” He waved a hand vaguely at himself. “I’m not exactly a giant.”

“And that bothers you?”

“The fact that you could literally sit on me and I might die?” Levi managed a snort, a little amused at the idea but still concerned about it. “Yeah, that does bother me just a little bit.”

Eren looked a bit affronted at the insinuation. “I’m not going to sit on you.”

“Don’t take everything so literally, geez.” Levi rolled his eyes. “It’s the fact that…well, I guess it’s that you’re so different from the regular human beings that I’ve been around all my life. I’m not used to being around monsters. Heck, I’m not even used to seeing a monster and now one of them wants me to live with it. It’s a lot to take in.”

And it really was. But…maybe this whole living in the forest business didn’t have to be so bad. He would have company. Eren had promised him food and protection. He’d even said Levi could go through the old possessions of prey that were kept lying around.

Levi might just be able to turn this cave into a suitable dwelling.

“So…you’re considering it, then?” Eren ventured, hopeful. “You’re thinking about letting me court you?”

Levi sent the brunet a dry look but it had very little effect on the eager arachnid. Those oddly blinking eyes were fixed on the raven like they had access to his every thought, like they knew that his traitorous mind had practically made the decision already.

Well it wouldn’t be that easy. Levi decided to play a little hard to get.

He made a show of thinking over Eren’s question, tapping a finger against his chin to exaggerate the pose.

“What would this courting entail?” Levi asked, because he might as well know more.

Eren rang his hands together, a leftover nervousness, but maintained eye contact as he spoke. “Simple things. I’ll attempt to take care of you and try and impress you.”

A tiny smirk broke out on Levi’s lips. “You think you can do that?”

Eren ran a hand up through his hair and let go of a little, shaky laugh. It released a little of the tension in him and Eren side-eyed the raven with that knowing look again.

“I can see already that it won’t be an easy feat but…I would like to try.” He said, sounding sheepish. “You may have to guide me, as I’m unfamiliar with your own customs of courtship.”

A little guidance? That could work out. Levi could do that easily enough, tell Eren what worked and what didn’t.

“Can you deal with a little more fire around the place?” Levi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eren gave a twitch, making a face at the thought for the slightest moment.

“I’ll do my best to tolerate it.” He allowed.

“Hmm.” Levi hummed, taking a long and purposeful look around the cave. “And all this mess? Is it going to be a permanent thing if I agree?”

Eren looked at the maze of webbing as if sizing up the task of getting it all down. This was his home and Levi knew he was being a bit pushy, but he had to as realistic as he could. If he really was going to stick around, some things would need to change. Pretending to be okay with clutter wouldn’t do anyone any good, and if Eren couldn’t deal with even this amount of change then they wouldn’t have a chance in hell at anything more.

The brunet sighed, acceptance laced with frustration. “Why don’t you tell me what _you_ want first?”

“I thought you said this wasn’t a bargain?”

“It isn’t supposed to be.” Eren scowled at him for a moment, balking when Levi’s scowl only got meaner. “But you seem to like the idea of negotiating, so why don’t you tell me what your terms might be if you agreed?”

Levi did just that.

“Clean this place up, let me make it a bit more liveable. Don’t try any crap and I won’t try to chew your kneecaps off.” He said, just to watch Eren squirm, then levelled him with a stern look. “We can see how things go from there. How does that sound?”

It was as good a deal as they would be able to make on such short notice. Things wouldn’t go as planned, of that much Levi was dead certain, but they would be able to work through whatever would come along.

Levi waited, watching Eren deliberate.

Eren fidgeted. “Those are your terms?”

The raven nodded. “For now they are.”

A little smile, slow and wry, spread across Eren’s face at the words. “I assume you’ll let me know when that changes?”

“You bet your ass I’ll let you know.”

“Very well. Agreed.”

Levi held out a hand to the oversized arachnid, shaking Eren’s offered hand without explanation for the odd, human habit.

“Agreed.” Levi said. He favoured the brunet with a barely-there smile. “Impress me, Eren.”

Giving his assent, his approval even, gave Eren a giddy look. He’d never courted a human before and the excitement was clear in his eyes. There were still so many things they didn’t know about each other. So many things to learn.

Levi still couldn’t believe he was agreeing to this without being drunk or drugged or _something_.

Eren smiled, looking shy. He stepped over to Levi carefully, picking his way there slowly so as not to startle the Omega.

“Then…if I manage to win you over…” Eren looked down at him, almost coy, “Levi, would you be my mate?”

Levi’s gaze flickered over the brunet’s face and he gave a snort. “Unbelievable.” He muttered. “You’ve been waiting since day one to ask, haven’t you?”

There was enough fumbling and mumbling for Levi to detect a very certain _yes_ amidst the stalling.

“…I wasn’t entirely sure what you were but you smelled compatible and I-”

“You _were_ flirting this whole time!” The raven accused, watching Eren’s blush spread. “I knew it!”


	6. Chapter 6

Their agreement seemed fragile, though it had been made nonetheless. Levi questioned his own sanity while Eren practically swooned with delight, and thus his first attempt at courtship began.

It was an enthusiastic offer, not quite a tour of the lair.

Eren led the way through the maze of webs, offering to carry Levi only to discover that this was not received well by the raven. The Omega was wary of Eren still.

Without compromise, the way was slow going. Eren picked a careful path through the maze, holding web strands out of the way for Levi to pass by, over, and under. Levi grumbled the whole way about clutter.

Eren chirped down at him in that incomprehensible dialect of his, irked.

They made it eventually to the back of the lair, or to what Levi had assumed would be the back. He was surprised to find that the space continued, separated from the rest of their lair by a sheet of rock that had yet to be worn away. A great, natural wall. The entrance to this section of the cave had been well sheltered from view by towering boulders, the rocks even taller than Eren. There was passage enough between them for Levi to squeeze through, and the arachnid followed overhead on a path of viscous web strands that had been woven over the boulders.

Emerging into the new space, Levi took in the surrounds in the lower light.

More cave, of course. This space seemed to serve an actual purpose, however, just like the stone corridor from the main area acted as a store for Eren’s victims. This area had been hidden from view, concealed by the boulders and lower light. That was probably why Eren used this space to store away all the bits and pieces that he had found on his victims over the years.

“This is where I keep human treasure.” Eren explained briefly as he hovered in place halfway down one of the bigger rocks. He didn’t bother touching down to the ground. “Take whatever you like and make use of it, please.”

Levi nodded in thanks at the unspoken ‘what’s mine is yours’ and watched the way Eren responded to that, lighting up merrily.

“I’ll leave you to it.” The brunet announced, and he turned rather suddenly to scuttle back over the boulders, heading back out to the rest of the cave for some business he didn’t care to share with Levi.

That suited the raven just fine. He had a sneaking suspicion that his new suitor was going for a snack. If that was the case, Levi would rather be left out of it.

Levi began the long trawl through Eren’s…treasure.

There were piles and piles of the stuff, arranged with no organisation whatsoever. Forgotten swords stuck out of the same mounds as worn saddlebags and jars of some sort of food.

Levi approached the jars warily, grimacing as he jimmied a lid free to inspect the contents. He awaited some foul odour of spoiled goods only to be shocked by a rather acceptable smell. Dried meats, salted for preservation purposes. It was a technique used by many a traveller, something Levi himself had done before when preparing for hunting trips into the fields with his friends.

These rations couldn’t have been that old if they still smelled edible. The unfortunate owner of this particular possession must have met with a recent and untimely end.

Bad luck for them, but Levi considered it to be extremely good luck on his own behalf. He felt a little guilty making use of the food, but then again it would only go to waste if he just left it lying around. The meat was unspoiled when Levi cautiously chewed at a strip, checking for any unpleasant flavours that could hint at the beginnings of decomposition setting in. Pleased with this, his first find, Levi set the jar aside, closed the lid tight, and resumed his search while munching on the test strip of meat. He wasn’t quite sure what animal it came from, the flavour warped by salt, but it was pleasant enough on the tongue.

Levi turned back to the piles, pulling out the other jars nearest to him. They, too, proved to be filled with still quite edible morsels – pieces of dried fruits and meat, and a few herbs. All useful.

Those items were set aside in their own little pile, a cluster of resources Levi was glad to have. Food was one of his major concerns for living here, not only in the forest but being restricted to this cave. For the moment at least, Eren didn’t seem eager to let him leave. Considering the lurking danger, Levi was inclined to agree with that decision for the most part.

These jars of food, while limited in supply, would be helpful in the initial days of forest life. While he and Eren worked out a rhythm. The arachnid would need time to hunt, to bring back food, and there was always the worry of having to build a fire when it clearly agitated Eren.

They would figure something out. They had to. Levi needed to stay warm, needed to be able to eat meat that wasn’t raw off the carcass.

_We’ll figure something out_ , Levi repeated internally.

At least he could distract himself here amidst these objects and trinkets.

While Eren did…whatever the hell he was doing out there. It was quiet, and Levi tried not to think too much about that.

He was surprised first and foremost of the lack of gore amidst the collected items in Eren’s bizarre treasure trove. For knickknacks stowed away in a monster’s cave, Levi had been preparing himself to find more… _evidence_ of the previous owners of these gathered possessions. In that regard at least, Levi was both surprised and a little impressed. Eren had gone to the trouble of keeping these things remarkably blood-free, although the same couldn’t be said for the amount of dust. Levi sighed and resigned himself to washing whatever he found that could be of use.

Careful hands picked through piles of unsorted clutter, setting aside a few items of clothing that were too big for him but really, he didn’t have the opportunity to be picky. They would be warm, and that’s all Levi cared about. Through his careful navigation of various piles, Levi emerged with several jackets made from fur, with half-decent lining. He might be able to use them as extra bedding, or perhaps bite the bullet and attempt stitching a blanket if he ever found the resources to do so.

The furs were set aside with the clothes.

Levi found a broken lantern that he contemplated trying to fix, setting it aside for a later date. Some pieces of flint were a happy discovery and Levi tucked those away with his food supplies, unsure how Eren would react to him keeping tools to make fire.

He pulled a few worn blankets from another pile, fishing them out of some wanderer’s pack along with a tattered bedroll. It would do. They smelled a little stale from sitting there so long. It couldn’t be helped much without a thorough cleaning.

Every single canteen Levi found was set aside; the raven intended to make good use of those. Perhaps he could convince Eren to go and fetch him water? Or even help Levi get outside to do it himself?

“Is there anything useful?” Eren’s voice trailed from behind him suddenly, full of uncertainty.

Levi jumped, startled, and turned to scowl at the brunet only to jump _again_ at how close Eren was. The arachnid hovered almost right over him, but his attention was on the little pile of things that Levi had been separating from the rest.

Mustering a glare, Levi took a risk and smacked the back of his hand against part of Eren’s leg in retaliation for the big brute scaring him.

Eren, who had been midway through reaching to inspect the pile, paused to blink down at him.

“What?” He asked, staring.

“Don’t sneak up behind me like that, bastard!” Levi hissed, scooting out of the way.

The sight of Eren committing new information about Levi to memory almost smoothed the raven’s ruffled state.

Not quite, though he did appreciate the effort the arachnid was making.

Smaller, beady eyes zeroed in on Levi’s mouth and the movement there.

“What are you eating?” Eren asked, thoroughly confused.

Levi supposed that the arachnid would not consider his findings to be food, strictly, rather disgusting concoctions of mankind. Then again Eren’s understanding of a meal was essentially human soup.

“I found it.” Levi said obviously, holding up one of the jars. “From one of your more recent dinner guests, I presume.”

Eren chose to ignore the raven’s accusing words and turns of phrase, wandering over to inspect the jars. He pried one open, taking a tentative sniff at the contents and instantly wrinkling his nose.

“Are you sure this is _food?”_ He asked the raven, scepticism written blatantly on his face. “It smells like something crawled in and died.”

Levi snorted his amusement and reached for the jar, surprised that Eren handed it back at all after smelling it and believing it to be some kind of deceased vermin.

“Don’t be a wuss, it’s just preserved. For taking on long trips.”

Eren made a face. “It smells rotten to me.”

“Well your nose must be stronger than mine, cos it smells like lunch to me.” Levi said simply, pulling out another stick of meat to chew on, half because he was peckish and half because he wanted to see how disgusted it made Eren.

The arachnid recoiled at the sight, making a strained, impressed sound. “You humans and your iron stomachs.” Eren muttered, looking away and covering his nose with a hand. “And yes, my nose is quite keen. Clearly there’s something inferior in your human genetics that doesn’t allow you to realise you’re eating vile leftovers of nature.”

The insult was more amusing to Levi than offensive and he fought back the urge to laugh.

“Tastes pretty good to me.” Levi said with a shrug, smirking over at the paling brunet. “I thought you forest dwellers would have stronger stomachs than this.”

Eren grimaced, still looking very much like he might be sick.

Levi decided to be merciful and finished his morsel quickly, making sure all the jars were sealed to keep the smell from offending his host’s keen senses. He didn’t miss the relieved exhale it pulled from the arachnid.

The raven let him be, moving to look through the pile again.

“You should be glad I found anything edible down here at all.” Levi said, raising an eye over at Eren. “Less hunting for you, and less fire.”

Eren glanced between Levi and the jars, bemusement written across his face. Suddenly the odd food didn’t seem so bad to the brunet. He poked idly at one of the jars with the end of a leg.

“You’ll run out soon, won’t you?” Eren asked, concern bleeding into his tone. “Can you make more?”

Levi shrugged. “Probably. With the right ingredients, or good access to sunlight.”

“Good.” The arachnid nodded, seeming relieved. “And what will you do with these other things?”

Levi cast a look at the pile he’d assembled thus far, mostly blankets and the one set of clothes that might not make him look too much like a child lost in a parent’s nightgown.

“Make a bed, hopefully.” Levi said, thinking of where he might be able to assemble a good sleeping are. “It would be nice not to sleep on rock and be cold all the time.” He added as an afterthought.

Eren didn’t seem to be bothered by the temperature at all and had been surprised by Levi’s uneasy attitude in his thus far clothes-less state. Even now he was sat bare on a one of the more rugged blankets he’d found, deeming it useless for warmth. It had holes in places, but would do for a place to sit that wasn’t chilly stone. Eren didn’t seem to be bothered by Levi’s state of undress and it was rubbing off on the raven.

He really hoped those clothes would fit him. It just wouldn’t do to continue this mess of a situation _and_ be the only one with his dick out. Levi could deal with one or the other, but not both.

Actually…no, he probably couldn’t handle any situation that involved Eren getting his dick out.

Did spiders have dicks?

Oh why. _Why_ did he have to go there?

“If you slept next to _me_ you wouldn’t be cold.” Eren suggested, all too hopeful.

Levi was almost suspicious that the damned arachnid could read his thoughts. He couldn’t imagine cuddling up with a spider of all things. It was a completely alien concept. How would it feel being tucked up in all those limbs?

Weird, probably.

Eren cocked his head, waiting for some kind of response.

“I think I’ll save that option for later.” Levi said, unease still twinging in him at the thought of snuggling with this beast.

The Omega supposed it was just another thing on a long list of things that he would need to get used to.

Eren didn’t seem too disappointed, merely shrugging off the comment like it was Levi’s loss.

“If you change your mind…” Eren said almost casually, letting the sentence trail into suggestive silence.

Levi rolled his eyes. “You’re a persistent little shit, aren’t you?”

Eren outright pouted at him, managing to look stubborn in the same move. “How else are we supposed to bond if you won’t let me near you?” He argued.

The brat made a good point.

“I thought the whole idea was for you to _impress_ me before we got down to any sort of canoodling business?”

Levi made a better one.

The arachnid gave pause, letting the raven's words sink in, and his brows pulled together.

“What is _canoodling_ and how do I get it?” Eren asked with that same determined frown.

Levi laughed, he couldn’t help it. The brute had the right idea, but Levi’s language still threw him off balance from time to time.

“You know, gross mushy romance stuff. Smooching and the like.”

Eren’s frown grew a little. “…what is smooching?”

The raven smacked a hand against his face and gave a groan, exasperated but also amused. He shook his head.

“I’ll let you know if you ever get there, moron.”

He could see the arachnid puff up in indignation in his periphery, chittering sulkily in tantrum. Levi figured they’d covered the mushy romance stuff more than enough for one day. It was still a weird concept in and of itself and Eren was clearly floundering in that department.

It would make for some interesting, and undoubtedly hilarious, moments to come. Levi was sure of that much.

He went back to clearing a path through the piles of stuff.

Eren followed him further into the space, not understanding the concept of personal boundaries. Or maybe he understood them just fine and didn’t care? Who knew?

The wariness Eren occasionally held for Levi didn’t seem to stop him from wanting to get up close and personal, not even in an untoward manner. Just being near seemed to be the brunet’s goal. Space between them was almost a failing on Eren’s part. Levi could tell it was bothering the arachnid. The raven was all too aware of the way Eren’s eyes monitored the distance between them. The smaller set of orbs watched him move, while Eren kept his human eyes busy trying to catch visual clues and hints from Levi’s own gaze. The brute was already figuring out little things about himself that unsettled the raven, his surplus of optical apparatus being one of them. A surplus of limbs being another. There wasn’t really a way for Eren to compensate for that, but at least he was aware of it.

Levi watched Eren stepping carefully through things, always with the same number of legs touching the ground as not. It must be a balance thing, Levi surmised. He was just beginning to get flighty again at Eren’s proximity, the hulking arachnid creeping ever closer.

Thankfully the brunet paused to sift through the assortment of items Levi had picked out thus far, looking for more answers about his new companion amongst the objects.

“I don’t suppose you’d let me clean those?” Levi asked, testing how much freedom he could scrounge out of this deal.

His voice startled the arachnid from his examination and he dropped a blanket in surprise.

Eren looked over at him with a frown. “Are they unclean?”

Levi sent the spider a flat look. “Well they smell like cave and dead guy and dust. So yes.”

Processing those words didn’t take long for Eren and he glanced back at the little pile with a single nod. “I’ll take care of it.”

It was not the response that Levi had been expected and he frowned. He knew that Eren would not be keen on the idea of his new mate-to-be leaving his cave, his territory essentially, but offering to clean for him?

It was…weird.

“What makes you think your cleaning standards are the same as mine?” Levi challenged with a slitted stare.

The brunet withered a little but remained stubborn. “I’ll do my best.” He said, unwilling to compromise.

Levi gave a doubtful hum, but he was mostly giving the brunet a hard time. “Alright.”

So there were some places where he shouldn’t press just yet? Like the notion of leaving. That topic seemed to make Eren uneasy, even distraught. It would be alright to let him have this little security blanket, to keep Levi cooped up for now.

He would find a way to distract himself until Eren grew more trusting.

Eren seemed to relax a little, taking that as his cue to get on with it. He gathered all the items that would require cleaning and headed for the cave entrance, probably very aware of Levi’s gaze on him.

It was funny how Levi’s attention could so easily rile the arachnid, in several ways too. There was the fear, the nervousness when Eren wanted to please, and of course that flustered side that Levi found oh-so-entertaining. It was probably his favourite side to Eren. The least scary one. The raven made a promise to himself to try and call out flustered Eren more often.

In reality, it wouldn’t be all that hard. He could ask Eren about icky spider business, maybe teach him about icky human business along the way? Levi could find out if Eren knew what kisses were, if he’d ever had one, what he thought of them?

Or he could take up the brunet’s offer of snuggling and see how long it took for Eren to spontaneously combust.

But those would be games, distractions, for a later time.

Levi resumed his hunt for supplies.

He was unsurprised to find that most of Eren’s victims seemed to have been the explorer types, brave and foolish souls who wanted to see every part of the world regardless of the dangers. There were countless maps and scrolls with scrawled accounts of ventures. Levi recognised a few maps of the area, tracing the familiar lines of the mountain ranges nearby and the jagged perimeter of the forest that stretched on and on.

His finger tapped against the little marker that depicted his village and the fields that reached out over most of the landscape behind it. Gentle, rolling ground and friendly hills. It was a land that he had known all his life, often wondering at how different the other side of his village would be. The side that held trees and promises of terror…but also adventure.

Some bizarre adventure it had turned out to be.

Levi set the maps out in their own little area, taking it upon himself to organise this mess. As he worked through piles, the raven created new ones. There was an ever-growing pile of hunting knives, swords, even a bow and arrow. Levi put each new weapon there. Hell if he’d known about this place earlier, he would never have dreamed of threatening Eren with a _stick_.

Miraculously, Levi stumbled upon a knapsack with pots in it. A small frying pan meant for travel, two little pots blackened from sitting in fire, so simple and yet more than Levi had had a moment ago. Suddenly he had more ways to cook his food than simply throwing meat on the fire and bearing with the charred bits.

Levi outright refused to get emotional about pots, but he may have wandered about holding them for a little while. They were definitely useful, set aside in the designated ‘keeping’ pile.

Maybe he could ask Eren to wash those out, too? He filed away the thought for later.

More jars made themselves known, smaller than the ones for food. Some had strange herbal scents to them, balms of some sort probably meant for some kind of medical use. There was honey in one jar, easily identifiable by its smell and taste. Levi decided to keep that in case of injury, too, as he didn’t know where he’d be able to come across more of the stuff without sending his new suitor into a beehive.

From the same pile the raven pulled a heavy fabric, thick with the smell of wax. Waterproofed and for what Levi assumed was a simple tent. Strung up over a low hanging branch or some rope, the cloth would make a fine shelter even in wet conditions.

Levi wasn’t really sure what he might do with it down here, but he organised it over by the pile of other fabrics he’d pulled out. Most of them were spare sets of clothes. They’d been stuffed into bags, packed away for long trips, but their owners had never gotten to use them. Most of the garments were far too large for Levi, too. Crap.

He set them in their own space anyway, on the off chance he found a use for them. Maybe they could be bundled together to form a makeshift pillow? That wasn’t a bad idea, now that he thought about it.

Levi reminded himself to thank Eren when he saw him again. His habit of keeping the possessions of his prey was turning out to be quite advantageous for the Omega. He would make a comfortable home of this cave yet.

Several spools of rope were organised together, pulled out of rucksacks.

There was even enough coin throughout all of the individual piles for Levi to fill several empty jars. While Eren’s treasure wasn’t really what most people’s idea of treasure might be, Levi found the contents infinitely more useful.

What would he have done with a proper treasure hoard, anyway?

At the end of the day, he couldn’t eat gold.

Levi was far happier with his pots and pans than he was with the shiny currency, and that in itself was immensely freeing.

The more Levi thought about it, the happier it made him. In this world of monsters, of predator and prey, gold was nothing more than a pretty trinket. It had next to none of the value that humanity had placed upon it. Levi realised he didn’t even need these coins. He was no longer a slave to money. To society. To the life he had once known. Out here, it was enough to simply have the means to survive. To have blankets to keep him warm, and food to eat, and simple, basic possessions like goddamned kitchenware.

And, of course, the company that came in the form of the strange residents of this tree-laden world.

The only thing Levi needed to do out here was be himself, and see if a certain spider suitor could actually fall for his prickly personality. It was beyond simple, even if the process, the concept of it all, was slightly terrifying.

This strange new life was freedom, Levi realised.

Or at least…it could be. If he could learn to embrace it, this could be freedom.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who just finished their assignment.

“Eren? What are you…oh.” Levi came to a surprised stop after squeezing back through to the main cave area.

He had come to search for the brunet, intending to ask after the arachnid’s laundry assignment and show Eren the pots and fry pan that had been dug out of his treasure trove. All of that floated to the back of Levi’s mind as he took in the room, blinking at it.

It was so different.

A whole section of the web maze was gone, nowhere to be seen. That was until Eren turned to look at the raven, raising an eyebrow in silent question since his mouth was preoccupied. It was still a bit (a _lot_ ) strange to see the arachnid recycling his webs. They didn’t seem like a particularly desirable snack, but that didn’t stop Eren. The arachnid hummed out a questioning note, munching lazily. He looked a little sleepy, the kind of contented state one got after a big meal.

Levi pursed his lips, considering.

Well crap. He hadn’t expected Eren’s second courting act to be spring cleaning. The raven outright refused to admit how that _did_ impress him, that Eren had listened to his complaining at all and taken the comments on board was startling.

Seeing Levi’s appraisal of the newly cleared space, Eren perked up and scuttled a few paces closer.

“What do you think? I’m not finished yet and it might take a few days, but this is better, yes?”

Levi couldn’t ignore such a hopeful face, all of Eren’s eyes twinkling in eagerness. He’d even remembered to swallow before speaking, good for him.

Taking a long and deliberate look around the cleared cave area, Levi gave a low hum.

“It’ll do for now.” He allowed.

Really the fact that any cleaning had been done at his request was enough to cheer the raven up. There was actual _space_ where he could _walk_ now. An area where there was no constant risk of him losing his balance and getting stuck in web for hours.

Compared to the labyrinthine spider’s lace from before, this would do nicely.

Eren practically swooned with relief, swaying a little as a happy sound escaped his throat.

“Thank goodness, I wasn’t sure you’d be satisfied with a half-finished job but I’m so glad, Levi, thank you-”

“You’re rambling.”

Eren snapped his mouth shut but couldn’t rid himself of the giddy grin that took over his face.

Levi shook his head. “Moron.”

He showed his host the tools that had been found, watching Eren stare at the pots with some understanding. Cooking food was a useless concept to the arachnid, but he was over the moon to have possessed even a few items to make Levi’s new life less unpleasant. Eren listened as Levi told him about plans for bedding, pulling out every blanket, fur, and bedroll he’d been able to find thus far and dumping them in a pile.

“Are those your nesting materials?” Eren asked, his face overrun with excitement.

Levi squinted at him, suspicious of the slight flush on Eren’s face as he spoke about nests. He suspected it was yet more unknown spidery behaviour, no doubt something that would be revealed when it became relevant.

He didn’t ask.

“I have to sleep somewhere.” The raven said finally. “Not everyone is satisfied with bare stone, you know?”

Eren nodded seriously, looking at the ground as if he finally realised how uncomfortable it could be when used as a sleeping surface.

“And…will there be a place for me there? In your nest.” Eren clarified, shifting about with his too-many legs.

The raven squinted, wondering at Eren’s meaning. “A place for you?”

“To sleep.”

“With me?” Levi frowned. “I don’t know…cuddling with spiders isn’t high up on my to-do list.”

Truth be told, Levi couldn’t even begin to imagine how that might work. He never would have thought that spiders would be the kind to cuddle.

“Please?” Eren pleaded, all his eyes wide and doleful at the chance of rejection.

The display was enough to make Levi consider it and he heaved a sigh. “I’ll think about it.”

Eren let out a high chirp, elated enough that words escaped him.

“Alright, now. You want to impress me, yes?” Levi asked, waiting for Eren’s eager nod. “Good. Then make yourself useful and help me clean these.”

It had been worth a try to get Eren to let him out of the cave to assist cleaning the blankets, but Eren insisted on doing the task himself. Back and forth he went, taking the pots and pan as well when they were handed to him. Everything had to be clean.

Without much else to entertain himself with, Levi explored the newly cleared space in the cave. He found a few dips in the stone of the floor, considering where he might set up his sleeping area once the blankets were dry. Near the cluster of boulders seemed like the best idea. They provided some shelter. A nice little hideaway from the rest of the cave, and hopefully they would protect against wind too. There were still webs around most of that space, but Levi hoped that he would be able to persuade Eren to clean up just around the large stones before the day was through. He felt…a strange need. There was a desire for safety in him, particularly when Levi thought about settling down for the night. He didn’t want to be out in the open. The thought had unease flaring in him, cold and awful. Levi didn’t know if that was a common sense thing or an Omega thing, but he would have to find a secure spot to arrange his bedding.

He was glad for the number of blankets, some of them a little worn. With enough of them, Levi hoped he would be able to get warm enough to be able to fall asleep comfortably. Being cold was something he’d always hated. It was familiar, though, as every village family had suffered through the colder months. There was never enough food. Never enough wood for the fire, and trying to collect some from the forest was out of the question unless you had a death wish.

Levi let himself think about the option of allowing Eren to sleep by him. He shivered instantly. It was easy to imagine how panicked he might become waking up to so many legs and eyes.

But…if he didn’t at least try, then neither of them would know whether or not they would be able to work out something more than just coexisting.

Eren wanted a mate. He’d said so himself, with no pretences or hesitation. Levi didn’t know if he wanted the same…or if they would even be compatible. He was reminded of the ridiculousness of their situation, of what a disgrace he’d become, and maybe there was a rebellious streak building in him because Levi didn’t feel ashamed at all. Maybe that would change later. Maybe it wouldn’t. Eren didn’t make him feel like he should be embarrassed, even when the twerp ogled him. The staring was open and without shame, and even a flustered Eren knew what he wanted.

Levi wished he knew the same.

The least he could do was give Eren a chance, and…surely an attempt at just sleeping next to each other wouldn’t be so bad?

It wouldn’t be anything weird. Just cuddling for warmth, that sort of thing. Really, the idea was practical and Levi had done so before on particularly cold nights back home with his family.

He wondered…if they missed him at all?

At least there would be one less mouth to feed. Easier winters for all of them.

“Are you troubled, little one?”

For once Eren hadn’t crept right up to him. The brunet was lingering in the opening to the cave, observing from high above with a frown furrowing his brows.

“Just thinking about home.” Levi admitted, since lying seemed pointless. “Will they even notice that I’m gone? Is anyone…hurting because I left?”

“You said that it wasn’t safe there for you, not anymore.” Eren said, frown deepening. “Don’t dwell on what cannot be fixed.”

“I know that. They were my family, Eren. My people. We didn’t have much and it wasn’t an easy life, but…it’s all I knew.”

“You can know something new, now. You don’t stop _being_ just because things are different. Change happens.”

“I suppose so. At least I’m more than thin air, even here. That’s something.” Levi said, and he sighed. “Enough moping, I’m depressing myself here. Say, beastie, do you think you could do me a little favour?”

Eren descended from the cave opening to the floor, his eyes wide and hopeful again.

“Yes? I’m sure I can do it, whatever you want.” He assured the raven, waiting on Levi’s next words with bated breath.

Levi took another glance at the rock and really there wasn’t a better spot, not without asking Eren to move his entire treasure hoard. It seemed a little extreme. Surely he could make this work for a place to sleep, unless something better came along down the road.

“I was thinking…my nest-” Levi tried out the word and wrinkled his nose a bit, unsure if it fit yet, “could go somewhere here.” He gestured to the boulders, making a face at the webs that were still in the vicinity. “I’d be very grateful if you would clear this spot. For me. Please.”

Manners, Levi remembered. Was etiquette even a requirement among spider kind?

Whether it was or not, Eren didn’t seem to notice or care about Levi’s wording. All he needed to hear was ‘nest’ and Eren’s face lit up like the dawn sky and all Levi could think was that it must be exhausting to feel so much all the time. Eren seemed to operate on extremes in most elements of life.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Of course, I’d b-be honoured-” Eren’s elation got the better of him and he stuttered, breaking off into unintelligible chirps again.

Levi didn’t bother calling him out on it this time and the brunet wasted no time, diving right into the next task he could perform. Another way to impress Levi. Show him that he was worthy and worth the raven’s time.

Instead of leaving Eren to his work, Levi took a seat. As weird as it would be watching the whole…eating…cleaning process, Levi figured he should step up and stop avoiding things. Especially something so small. It was weird watching Eren just munch on webs he’d spun, but of all the things Eren did this was probably the least unsettling.

Baby steps, Levi.

Eren didn’t say anything, but Levi could spot the exact moment that the brunet noticed he hadn’t been left to his own devices. There was an almost jittery quality to Eren’s movements. He was nervous, anxious that he would somehow make a mistake under Levi’s gaze that would spoil things.

Levi didn’t know if it was hilarious or…kind of cute?

But a nervous Eren was an Eren who wouldn’t do as good a job, so Levi decided not to give him too hard a time. Instead of the silent treatment, Levi spoke up and hoped that a little conversation would calm the arachnid.

“Alright, I have questions for you, lanky.” The raven announced, laying on the charming pet names real early on.

Okay, maybe conversation wasn’t the right word so much as interrogation.

The not-so-subtle jab earned Levi a raised brow, but Eren seemed to be realising that people Levi took the time to insult on a regular basis could also be people he didn’t really hate all that much. Even that small realisation was a good start, in Levi’s humble opinion. He wasn’t always nice, even when he tried to be. Finding people who could read him and get to the meaning his words couldn’t always put out into the world was rare.

But maybe…Eren could be one of those people.

“Okay.” The brunet said, waiting for the queries to come.

He’d at least had the decency to chew and swallow before speaking this time around. Levi felt a flare of approval. And at least while Eren had to think about conversation, he couldn’t be as nervous.

“First of all, why do you do that?” Levi had to ask, gesturing to his mouth and then pointing at Eren.

It was an easy thing to translate, thankfully, and Eren gave a nod of comprehension.

“Oh, it recycles the nutrients spent in making the web in the first place.” He said, pulling at another strand. “There’s no point wasting a valuable resource, and it can be very useful during the colder months if food is hard to come by.”

Levi spent a few, long moments staring the brunet down and trying to decide if he was full of shit or not. Eren didn’t flinch, watching him back with surprisingly innocent eyes while his hands worked at ripping down a curtain of white.

“Huh.” Levi scratched idly at his chin and tilted his head at the arachnid. “I figured there wasn’t a reason and you were just strange, but good to know I’m not living with a crazy person.”

If he was honest with himself, it was interesting. Knowing that Eren could reuse his webs like some kind of emergency snack if he needed to? Good for him. It was still weird, but a useful trick to have. More than that, Levi was already a little impressed with how concerned Eren was about being wasteful. Back home, every morsel of food was important because food was scarce and everyone was hungry. Levi had been raised to abhor waste.

It gave Eren an advantage he didn’t even know he had.

The brunet finished up with another strand, swallowing and glancing at Levi. “Not everything that you don’t understand or do yourself is crazy or strange, Levi.” He said.

The raven raised an eyebrow in response. “You sure?”

“Yes I’m sure.”

“Uh-huh. If you say so, big guy.” Levi bit back a smirk, chewing the inside of his cheek for a moment. “Okay, what about ex-partners?”

“Hm?” Eren looked back over, busy with another mouthful.

“That’s my next question. Are there any ex-mates I should know about?” The raven said to clarify, watching the brunet’s confused expression. “Is there a chance that I’ll get carried off into the night by some vengeful she-spider? Because I don’t plan to die that way; I’d like to know in advance so I can make spears or something.”

It was a valid concern and Levi felt like he had a right to know. This was a whole other species he was dealing with and dying via some cultural mistake or gap in his knowledge would be a shitty way to go.

Eren frowned at the question and shook his head. “I think you’re overestimating how much females care for their partners. So no.”

“No?” Levi asked, getting the same reaction. “That’s a relief. How long do your kind normally pair for, anyway?”

The arachnid took the time to finish chewing, having to swallow twice before he was free to speak.

“You mean are we monogamous?” Eren paraphrased, waiting for Levi’s shrug and nod. His answer was honest…and honestly depressing. “No, not usually. I mean…usually one half of the pair kind of dies so it’s hard. N-Not that it’s not worth it. Sacrifices must be made, sometimes. It’s understandable.”

“Cannibalism is understandable?” Levi asked, incredulous at the thought. “What the hell have I gotten myself into?” He said, more to himself than to Eren.

Eren only gave a shrug. “It happens. For many of my kin, such behaviour is normal.”

Levi took that into account, questioning his awful decision making skills.

“I see.” He tried again. “New question: if you were to, say, _not_ get eaten by your crazy partner…how long would you expect to stay with them?”

The question took Eren off guard and he floundered for a moment, mouth opening and closing more than once. It might not have even occurred to him that relationships could exist without violence. That cannibalism didn’t have to be involved.

Although in Levi’s case it wouldn’t be cannibalism so much as trying a particularly exotic game meat.

“I-I don’t know.” Eren stammered in answer, blinking a little helplessly. “I’ve never stuck around to find out.”

“So you’ve never had a,” Levi paused, searching for the terminology Eren had used, “…a mate before?”

Eren made a face. “Not a permanent one, no. I have mated; thankfully my partners weren’t hungry that day.” He gave a shrug, wincing a little. “I think they might have chewed through a suitor or two before me, though, so I can’t brag about charm or anything like that. I still left in a hurry, on the off chance she wanted dessert.” The brunet gulped.

“Geez.” Levi murmured, staring at the odd creature across the cave from him. “You guys have it rougher than I thought.”

“It’s not so bad.”

“Not so bad?” Levi couldn’t stop his incredulous tone. “You could have died. For trying to have a partner? Where I come from, that qualifies as pretty damned bad.” Levi said, scoffing a laugh. “Where I’m from we say ‘I’ll bite your head off’ as a turn of phrase and that’s that. Heads are left intact. Pride, well that’s different.”

Humans and their habits seemed to puzzle Eren to no end. He listened to Levi’s rant, paying attention to the oddly passionate words and marvelling at their differences. How strange and barbaric their ways of life seemed to be from the perspective of an outsider.

“You really don’t eat each other?” Eren mused. “Weird. Do your males provide some other use?”

Levi thought about that.

“Other than being pains in the ass?” He wondered aloud. “You’d have to ask the housewives.”

Eren, who seemed to find the turn in conversation fascinating, had paused in his work to consider how an amicable relationship between two humans might work. It was entertaining watching him trying to puzzle it out. Thinking so hard must have been a strain.

Hell, even Levi didn’t know how some people made it work between them. Love was a mystery, and convenience was an art form.

Finally Eren cracked and had to ask. “So then what do your females get out of the relationship if their mates don’t even provide the initial energy needed to grow offspring?”

“Good question.” Levi scoffed, but he couldn’t paint his kind in an entirely awful light. “Nah, they’re not all bad. We like each other better when we’re alive. It’s a social thing, I guess. We’re a pack animal, all trying to work together for the benefit of the many.”

“Some of my kin live in groups, too.” Eren supplied, beaming.

“Oh yeah?”

The brunet nodded. “They’re not exactly social, but nest together all the same. It’s easier to build a nesting zone with a numbers advantage, although mating season is unpleasant.” Eren wrinkled his nose. “I only went along the one time.”

“Never again, huh?” Levi guessed.

The brunet gave a single nod, still making that displeased face. He shuddered.

“What about you?” Eren asked, vague at first until Levi actually met his gaze. “Do humans mate for life?”

Levi shrugged. “Humans can be monogamous, but not always. I can tell you, though, that if I sign up for this you’d better not fuck off and leave me feeling stupid.”

“I would never.” Eren vowed, solemn.

“Good.” Levi nodded, scowling. “Because I can promise you that would be exactly the sort of thing that would make me want to stab you in the face and see what you taste like roasted.”

Eren stammered, words a forgotten concept yet again as he chittered anxiously.

“Calm down.” Levi huffed. “If you don’t be an ass, I won’t stab your ass. Deal?”

“O-Okay.” Eren managed to croak out at last, gripping tight to a web strand.

And there it was, that not-so-irrational fear of becoming dinner. Levi felt he understood it better now, and he might have felt more guilty about using that against Eren had it not also caused embarrassment, which was much more acceptable than the fear he saw now. He would have to be careful of the situation in which he chose to play with Eren. Levi’s goal was to tease, not terrify.

Unless Eren gave him a reason to pull out meaner tactics. It didn’t seem likely to happen.

Eren’s loyalty was oddly absolute, even now in this earliest stage of getting to know each other. He sure was determined.

“So this is kind of going to be a touch-and-go sort of arrangement?” Levi asked. “Until we can figure it out?”

Eren considered that, sounding only a little lost when he answered. “Yes?”

Good enough.

“Well alright.” Levi nodded. “Here’s to hoping that we don’t piss each other off too much.”

Eren nodded and resumed his task of cleaning. He was especially meticulous, Levi noticed, and didn’t move to new spots until every last wisp of web was gone. Levi suspected that it had everything to do with the whole ‘nest’ fascination that Eren had; no doubt nesting was going to be an important part of Eren’s culture. The word held implications of security, of shelter. It made Levi think of warmth and comfort – a safe place even in this new world of monsters.

“What’s going to happen…to those people?”

Levi had to ask. He knew, really, that Eren wouldn’t have bothered dragging them all back here if he was planning on letting them escape. But just so that they were on equal terms of understanding, he had to ask.

There was a definite pause to Eren’s actions, a look passing over his face that only confirmed Levi’s assumption.

“Surely humans are familiar with the concept of stocking up on food?” He said finally, barely a question, and sent the raven a blank look.

Levi nodded. It was the answer he had been expecting, and he came to terms with it.

“I thought so.” He said.

His host didn’t seem to think that the conversation was over, though. The arachnid still watched Levi, his largest pair of eyes devoid of their usual enthusiasm as he took in the raven’s silence, his smaller than usual posture.

“Does it bother you?” Eren asked, his face still eerily vacant.

Eren’s tone made it perfectly clear that he knew it bothered Levi. He could see that it bothered him, but Levi knew how much of a lunatic he would have to be to be okay with his people dying in the same space he was currently living in. Even if they weren’t the best human beings out there, even if they’d made mistakes and bad choices, it got to Levi that they were there because of him.

“They were my people.” Levi said in a quiet voice. “Of course it bothers me.”

He acknowledged that he was uncomfortable but also that there was nothing he could do about it that wouldn’t make his situation worse. If he tried to free Eren’s captives he would not only enrage a giant spider hybrid but also leave himself just as vulnerable to the wrath of his former villagers. Their new relationship had not changed. He was still an abomination to them. He was hunted.

That would not change from an attempt to free them, days late and only after agreeing to become a spider’s spouse.

Eren was still watching him, considering.

“They also tried to hunt you down, hurt, and kill you.” He said matter-of-factly, no sugar coating it. “Do you want them to have a second chance at that? Would it be better for me to let those monsters go?”

Eren’s wording made Levi flinch a little, a frown pulling at his brows.

“They’re not monsters.” He defended, albeit half-heartedly.

The arachnid sneered and it did worrying things to his face, several elongated fangs becoming noticeable as his lip curled.

“Of course.” He said, and Levi knew he’d struck a nerve unintentionally. “Because anything that looks like you can’t be evil, right? What’s different is abhorred and hated and shunned, yes?”

Levi wasn’t sure they were talking about the prisoners anymore.

He pressed on anyways, unsure if he wanted an unstable, angry Eren around him so early on in their efforts.

“It was a terrible situation. None of us were in our right minds.” Levi said carefully, letting the arachnid know that he was keeping them on topic. “They would never have behaved that way in a normal scenario.”

Eren seemed to get the message, but he didn’t cheer up any.

“Everything that happens in life is _normal_ , Levi. Every behaviour, action, and instinct is programmed into the world, and that includes living things. That killer instinct you humans have? It’s normal. It just takes a little prodding, a little of the right circumstance, and it surfaces. Deep down, all those righteous little thoughts you people have amounts to nothing, because when you have to _survive_ there is no such thing as friendship or bond or brotherhood. It will always be every man for himself. That’s how humans _work_.”

The cave was quiet in the wake of Eren’s outburst. Levi stared at him, more than a little surprised by his sudden voiced hatred of humans. Their species would never have been friendly but…it was still shocking to hear such disdain.

Was this how all monsters felt about humans? It would be fair, after all this was only how all humans seemed to think of monsters. Why else would they give them such a frightening label?

“Not all of them are like that.” Levi said, because just as Eren would deny that all monsters were evil, Levi could not believe that every last human being was rotten to the core.

Eren’s gaze narrowed and he jerked an arm in the direction of his little, living storehouse.

“Tell me, then; would any of those people have put their own safety aside to help you?” He stared, unwilling to let the raven look away. “Did any of them even try?”

“No.” Levi said, because no one had.

Not his friends, not his family. Fear and the unknown were a powerful combination.

He didn’t blame them.

“No.” Eren said, satisfied with the response. “Then we can assume that you lived amongst monsters long before you met me.”

More quiet descended as Levi considered that last statement, and he found nothing to defend with.

“You don’t like humans, do you?” He asked, a stupid question really for the answer was blinding in its obviousness.

Eren shot him a cool glance. “Nothing smart does. Even humans don’t like each other very much.”

“But you don’t mind me?”

And here the both of them paused.

Eren looked him up and down, something searching in his gaze.

“You’re not human,” Eren said at last, and they’d established that but not with such…acceptance, like it was nothing, “not anymore. And a good thing, too. Consider yourself saved from the curse that is being born human, with clouded morals and greed. Your hidden nature has saved you.”

And for the first time, Levi felt he could agree entirely with his host.

“You know I think I like this mouthy side of you.” Levi said, an honest admission. “Finally, neither of us are walking on eggshells. Keep it up, _Eren_.”

And even though it was quiet after that and Eren looked sterner than usual, Levi felt more normality to their bizarre little scenario than ever.

 

The moment the cleaning of the boulders was done, Eren abandoned the spot to rush outside and collect the dried items. He returned several times, carrying armloads of blankets and the few clothing items Levi had requested to be washed. Lastly, the kitchenware was brought back.

But then Eren hurried out of the cave…again?

Levi watched him leave with a frown, but the arachnid was not gone for long.

The brunet returned with a long, thin branch in his hand about the width of two fingers and longer than Levi. He crept right up to the Omega and handed the branch over. It was a confusing gift, but Levi took it all the same, not wanting to be rude.

“What’s this?” He asked, holding the branch out in front of him.

Eren grinned like he was privy to some great joke. He leaned closer, watching Levi’s increasing wariness with every inch that disappeared between them.

In front of the raven’s nose, he paused, stooped over and grinning.

“A better stick.”

Little shit…well at least Eren wasn’t scowling anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter so damned much and I can't even decide _why_. It was so fun to write and gosh, my poor, hopeless boys.
> 
> You'll see, you'll see.
> 
> This is not beta'd, I'm sorry, but it's (sort of) adorable if that helps??

In hindsight, it had probably not been a good idea to retaliate by thwacking Eren on the nose with the newly acquired stick.

Bopping any monster on the nose without warning didn’t qualify as a good idea.

The little shit had been asking for it, though, leering at Levi like that. Stupid grin on his face. He practically asked for some kind of retaliation. Eren was clearly testing Levi’s boundaries, wanting to know just how far he could press into the raven’s personal space.

Levi let him know without hesitation.

Far too close. Back up, multi-legged one.

It had only been a bop on the nose, a mostly playful gesture. Eren had been a little shit, and Levi had responded in kind.

What Levi hadn’t known was how many nerves just so happened to be concentrated in Eren’s face.

An awful screech ripped its way out of Eren’s throat at the impact. It pitched and squealed, hurting Levi’s ears. Eren reeled back like he’d been punched rather than playfully bumped on the nose with a branch. The arachnid staggered, half collapsing in shock and flailing with one hand while the other covered his face defensively. Coordination left him, too many legs stumbling about. It was like watching a newborn deer on ice. The screeching continued, probably some choice cussing in whatever spidery dialect Eren had fallen into in his pain, and Levi could only stand there in surprise as Eren scrabbled off into a shadowy part of the cave. Eren made a sluggish trail, trying to make his legs work but they kept failing him. It must have been overwhelming, the mix of shock and pain. What had Levi _done_ to him?

The raven stood wide-eyed and dumbstruck.

Crap, _crap_. What had he done?

He should…he should help. He should do something, but what? What was happening?

“E-Eren?” Levi heard himself ask, feeling very far away.

There was a very good chance that he’d just signed his own death warrant. Did that count as an attack? Were there rules about this sort of thing during courtship?

More importantly…was Eren okay?

The arachnid had certainly seemed…distressed. Levi could hear the pained breathing from across the cave, the scrape of feet trying to push the brunet into a safe corner. Eren felt vulnerable, clearly, now that one of his weaknesses had been discovered. It wasn’t difficult for Levi to figure out what he’d done. All those eyes clustered on Eren’s face, and the supersensitive nose that had detected the difference between Levi and all the other humans. Eren may have been strong but he still had his vulnerabilities. His face happened to be one of them.

Day one and Levi had already messed things up. Crap.

Well Eren hadn’t tried to attack him. There was a chance that things between them hadn’t been entirely ruined, although the brunet would probably feel a little mistrusting towards Levi for a while. Unless he could fix this, somehow.

No time like the present.

Levi set down the stick and began to make his way over, finding it a bit easier with the web that had already been removed and recycled. From the darkness, shining eyes watched his approach, that rattlesnake sound was back, too. It didn’t sound hostile exactly…but the raven didn’t like it all the same. That noise sent shivers up Levi’s spine, unpleasant. It was a reminder that Eren wasn’t human, that he held the potential for so much danger in him. Levi forced the uneasiness down and padded his way over.

The arachnid had picked the darkest spot he could find to collapse finally. It didn’t look like Eren planned on moving anywhere anytime soon.

Thankfully Levi could pick out the dark shape of Eren huddled back in a gloomy corner, disconcerting to look at even when he was hiding. He was a muted silhouette. A watchful shadow of a thing, probably glaring up a storm. Levi surmised that he was definitely not supposed to be rough with this part of his host, not that he’d had any specific plans of that sort. It had been a spur of the moment thing. A reaction, pure and simple.

Only it turned out it wasn’t so simple, and now Eren was hurt.

Levi paused before the shadows, crouching. His eyes were wide, straining to see through the lower light in the part of the cave where Eren was hiding, but he hoped it came across as concern for Eren rather than fear.

“Eren?” Levi asked again.

He kept his voice low, not wanting to further agitate the arachnid.

There was a brief glinting, little pinpricks of light reflected in blinking eyes. Levi could practically feel Eren glowering at him from where he sat, collapsed and breathing harshly.

“Ouch.” Came the eerie rasp, Eren’s voice hoarse from the sudden screeching before.

He sounded more offended than anything else. Eren didn’t appear to be particularly angry with Levi, which was a relief.

“Are you hurt much?” Levi asked.

No answer came, though; a petulant silence meeting Levi’s ears instead. If Eren was well enough to sulk, then he couldn’t be too badly hurt.

“Eren, I didn’t know.” Levi tried instead, pausing at a moody hiss that was aimed his way. The sound faded and Eren resumed his silent sulking, leaving Levi to pick up his apology again. “I swear, if I’d known I wouldn’t have tapped you like that. I’m sorry.”

An apology was the best that Levi could offer until Eren allowed him to make up for his mistake, but the raven didn’t push. He waited, patience granted to him after the shock from before.

Eren chittered a few, unruly notes back at him, shuffling in the dark.

They stayed that way for a few, long moments. Eren remained swathed in his shadowy corner, and Levi waited just at the edge of the gloom for some sort of sign or signal on how to proceed. What exactly did one do to comfort a monster? Were the usual methods acceptable? Appropriate, even?

Levi switched tactics. “Thank you for the new stick. I appreciate it. The blunder was all me, you were doing fine. Please come out, Eren.”

No such luck. The arachnid was staying put, groaning and whining occasionally but refusing to come to the raven for inspection.

There was only one other thing Levi could try, other than leaving Eren to his tantrum. As much as he hated the thought of being in a dark corner with a beast, Levi knew that this was his fault. He took a deep breath. Another. Stepping into the shadows was the worst of it. The moments of blindness were awful, panicky seconds that seemed to stretch on forever while the raven’s eyes adjusted to the dim light.

It made sense why Eren would retreat here. His eyes would no doubt be stinging, the nerves distressed.

“Eren?” Levi tried again, searching the shadows now that he could see better.

He was being glared at from a corner by a lump of collapsed arachnid. The brunet was lying on his side, his legs curled awkwardly. Not all of Eren’s eyes were open, some of them remained shut against the lingering pain. He still had a hand over one side of his face. The usually vibrant face was twisted into a grimace.

Levi winced.

He hadn’t meant to hurt Eren. It had been a purely playful decision after seeing the brunet’s cheeky grin when he’d handed over that damned stick. Accident or not, it had still been Levi’s actions that had landed them here.

“Will you let me take a look?” He asked, tone imploring.

It would only be right for him to make sure his host, now his suitor, was alright.

Eren let go of a rattling breath and he still looked peeved but he didn’t say no. It was enough agreement for Levi. The raven crept closer, hands held up in a pacifying gesture.

“Eren, I’m just going to see if there’s any damage. I would appreciate it if you didn’t sting me.”

Despite the glaring, Eren let Levi come closer. The brunet didn’t try to lunge for him or bite, in fact he didn’t retaliate at all. It _seemed_ like a good sign. Levi had no idea how to read Eren right about then, but the fact he hadn’t been attacked in kind was probably a good thing.

Eren glared at Levi when he paused right in front of the brunet. Even looking mean enough to bite, Eren allowed the Omega to pry his hand away, maintaining the same, moody stare the whole time. Levi tried not to notice it. He brought careful fingers up, palms cupping the sides of Eren’s face to tilt his head this way and that. The arachnid’s obedience was surprising, but appreciated. In turn, Levi was as gentle as he could be as he looked for signs of serious injury. It was bizarre to think that he had to be careful of anything this large, but Eren was left quite helpless in Levi’s care. The arachnid didn’t seem to know what to do with himself. There was a good chance he’d never been this close to someone without the express intention of eating them. Eren was docile enough, letting Levi tilt his head about and squint at his face to look for injury. There was no trace of blood, no wounds or scratches. The only moisture on Eren’s face had been caused by involuntary tears brought on by the pain of impact, but those were brushed away easily enough by careful thumbs.

Even that caused the brunet to wince, and Levi figured that if Eren was that sensitive he would probably start to bruise eventually. At least the damage didn’t appear too bad. Gentle fingertips pressed, featherlight in spots. He knew roughly where the sore places would be and skirted around them to start with, just hoping for Eren to calm down.

It was working, Levi knew that much. Even spiders could be soothed with a little tactile comfort, how strange.

The brunet’s breathing evened, gradually.

Eren’s glaring simmered down to a mild stare, still severe but not as mean. It was something, at least.

Nothing seemed to be broken or out of place, at least as far as Levi could see. There was a little discolouration already, but it didn’t look like bleeding. More likely the bruises setting in.

Levi didn’t apologise again, berating himself in silence while he smoothed his fingers over Eren’s skin.

Eren yelped when Levi tried to press anywhere near his nose, and hissed at the raven more than once.

He was, for the most part, fine. Just tender.

With that knowledge, Levi let go of a relieved breath.

“You’re alright, as far as I can tell.” Levi announced, pulling back to give the moody monster some space. He crouched nearby, though. “Will you be alright? You’d know better than me.”

Eren grimaced.

“Hurts.” Was all he said.

That much was a given. Levi watched Eren press ginger fingertips to his face, tense with discomfort.

“I know,” Levi acknowledged, pausing as Eren let out a few chirps of complaint, “but is it the kind of hurt that requires serious attention, or do you think you’ll be okay? Be honest.”

The arachnid considered that for a long moment.

“I won’t die.” Eren grumbled, whining towards the end. “That was really mean of you.”

Talking seemed to aggravate the ache settling into Eren’s face, so Levi tried not to prompt too many responses from him. When Eren fixed his scowl on the ground, refusing to meet Levi’s gaze, the raven sighed.

Time to test out an age-old tactic.

“Will you forgive me if I kiss it better?” He asked.

The furrow in Eren’s brow deepened, but Levi recognised it as confusion this time. Eren was just starting to look up, a question forming on his tongue. It died away with a surprised yelp when Levi braced his hands on Eren’s shoulders and leaned in. He watched Eren freeze, a startled chirp catching in his throat as the brunet’s mind raced to determine what was happening and if he was in any danger. Panic registered. Levi didn’t give him reason to worry for long. He ducked his head and dabbed the lightest kiss he could manage on one of the brunet’s cheeks. Far enough from the bruise site to not cause pain, and careful anyway given Eren’s unpredictable state.

And just like that it was over.

The eyes that Eren could open without them stinging were staring at him, wide with wonder, when Levi pulled back.

“What was _that?_ ” Eren rasped.

“That was a kiss.” Levi said simply, pleased that there was at least one way to get that scowl off of Eren’s face. “And if you can find it in yourself to forgive me, you can have another.”

It proved a brilliant distraction from Eren’s discomfort.

Wide eyes tracked Levi’s retreat to the edge of the shadows with a new enthusiasm, the dark orbs bright even in the gloom. Levi could almost hear the cogs turning in Eren’s skull as the arachnid thought hard about how he might convince the raven to teach him more about these increasingly pleasant human habits of kissing and cuddling.

Humans, Eren seemed to know, could be quite physical in their demonstrations of affection…and Eren wanted in on that action. No doubt it would be the next topic of interrogation, Levi expected.

But that hardly mattered. Levi would be glad enough to explain what he could.

The important thing was that the eager Eren was back and he was infinitely better company than the moody, scowling Eren. Even if the brunet was still wincing and whining a bit. Levi’s promise of kisses worked its magic, though, and Eren was far more cooperative when asked questions. Levi stayed with the arachnid, feeling more and more guilty as the skin around Eren’s nose darkened as the bruising set in. Even a little of the skin around Eren’s eyes had bruised and that only confirmed Levi’s theory that there were a lot of nerves running through the twerp’s face. He hadn’t meant to find out and felt a little bad about discovering a weakness in such a manner.

Eren didn’t seem to mind, not when his tentative request for a second kiss was granted, this time on the opposite cheek. The arachnid was flushed and wincing around a smile. Smiling hurt, Eren admitted, but it was worth it to have earned this new form of affection from the raven.

“Don’t get too used to it.” Levi said, but he wasn’t able to sound all that grouchy.

If anything, he was relieved that Eren could forgive him so easily.

Finally, Eren started to look like the one feeling guilty.

“What’s on your mind, beastie?” Levi asked, noticing Eren had started to frown a little. “Does it still hurt?”

“It hurts, but that won’t change for a while.” Eren made a face, regretting it when the expression tweaked his sore nerves. “I was thinking, you should go and start on your nest…before the sun sets. It’ll only get colder when evening sets in. You should work while you still have the light.”

Levi considered that, turning to glance out at the rest of the cave. They’d come a good way into the back area; Levi couldn’t see the boulders from here but he could tell that there was already less light than before. The afternoon was wearing on and it would be a lot harder to assemble any kind of decent sleeping area in the dark, given Eren’s aversion to fire.

The beast was right. Now was the time for nests. Beds. Whatever the right term for it was.

But Levi felt conflicted about leaving the brunet to recover by himself.

He turned back to Eren, frowning. “Will you be alright?”

Eren shrugged at him with one shoulder, but nodded all the same.

“I’ll stay here for a bit.” The brunet said, speaking a little slower in an attempt to move his face as little as possible as he spoke. “I’m not sure standing would be a good idea at the moment; my eyes are still a little fuzzy.”

Levi’s frown deepened at that. “Is that normal? Are they damaged?”

“It’ll be fine.” Eren said.

He looked like he wanted to shake his head, but reconsidered the action to avoid a worse headache. Most movement would only worsen the throbbing that had no doubt settled in by now.

“Are you sure?” Levi pressed. “You might be concussed, and that’s not a good thing.”

On the off chance that something worse than soreness occurred, Levi knew he would not be particularly useful. He didn’t know how to mend broken bones or bleeding beneath the surface of what could be seen. And if Eren died…then it would just be Levi. Stuck in a cave. There was no way out for him without Eren.

That in itself was a strange thought.

Levi hadn’t thought about that until now, at least not properly. His first action against Eren had been to threaten to stab him. And if by some freak chance he’d managed to perhaps puncture the arachnid’s brain through an eye and killed the beast, he still would have been trapped. Trapped with several hunters from his village, no less. There was a chance that they might have been grateful if Levi had managed to get them free of their binds, but Eren’s webs were not easily hewn. Even if the hunters had been freed, they would still need to escape, and the walls had been covered in webbing. The entrance was too high.

If Eren died…this cave would serve as Levi’s tomb.

“Don’t die on me, okay?” Levi said, his seriousness taking Eren by surprise.

The arachnid blinked at him, discomfort lancing across his features with the action. He gave a quiet little chirp, a sound that Levi found surprisingly questioning, but made the effort to speak when Levi only frowned at him.

“It’s nothing like that.” Eren did shake his head this time, slowly, and emitted a vague sound that was not quite amused. “If you’d hit me any harder, then maybe. They’re just not used to being assaulted, that’s all.” Eren remarked, casting a weary look the raven’s way.

It wasn’t an accusing glance, but it might as well have been. Levi shouldered the blame regardless and he would atone for the error whether or not Eren asked him to.

“I’ll make it up to you somehow.” The raven said.

He didn’t have to say so aloud, but in doing so it would likely produce some form of task in Eren’s mind that Levi might perform to gain forgiveness. In a way, it was putting the idea into Eren’s mind. That would make things easiest. Eren would gain something, and Levi would feel like less of an asshole. Did that make him awful? To want to compensate for a mistake with another action? Maybe. Probably.

But the mention of recompense  had Eren perking up, as Levi had suspected it might.

“Will you teach me about human affection?” The brunet asked after barely a moment’s hesitation.

Silly thing. He thought it was too soon to ask about something like that, not taking into account that Levi was guilt-driven to say yes. Such a simple thing didn’t even require thought.

“I knew you’d ask.” Levi said accusingly, but conceded. “When you’re feeling better, ask whatever you’d like. I’ll try to explain as best I can.”

But Eren got a look on his face, something pleading entering the eyes that could open.

“That’s just _telling_ me about it.” Eren whined, and Levi wasn’t sure how someone could whine and also sound so eager. “I want you to teach me. Show me, Levi.”

The end of Levi’s name stretched into a shaky chitter, but Eren cut himself off before he could start rambling in words Levi couldn’t comprehend.

Levi didn’t know if he minded the spider talk so much, but he did narrow his eyes at the prospect of physically teaching Eren how to be affectionate on human terms. It definitely wasn’t something that Levi would have agreed to beforehand. Eren, the twerp that he was, had thought ahead this time and used an unpleasant situation to his advantage.

Good for him.

“Little shit.” Levi scoffed.

A pout crept across Eren’s face, like he thought Levi might refuse him.

“I thought you wanted to make it up to me?” Eren said, adopting his best doe-eyed expression.

He really was pulling out all the stops. Levi hadn’t even been aware that he had a weakness for doe-eyed monsters. Great.

Good to know.

“That’s not playing fair.” The raven rolled his eyes, but it was mostly in defeat. “Fine. Have it your way.”

The pout evaporated as Eren realised he would be getting his way and the brunet winced his way through another smile, incredibly pleased with himself. And Levi couldn’t even begrudge him for that.

It was good to be the cause of someone’s smile.

Levi sighed. “Eren. I really am sorry about your face. I didn’t know it would be so painful for you.”

“That’s okay.” Eren all but shrugged off the whole incident, tone turning playful. “You’ll just have to be _extra nice_ to me as penance.”

“Twerp. You act like a big baby, but you’re actually loving this little development, aren’t you?”

Eren had to fight off a grin that kept trying to break through and Levi left him to it, rolling his eyes as he departed to make his nest. What a troublesome suitor he’d gained.

 

It took a while to move all the bedding, after Levi had given each item a thorough inspection to ensure that they were acceptably clean. For a wild thing, Eren hadn’t done too bad.

Levi had to carry the bedrolls over first, unwilling to simply dump everything on the ground over and over again. They would just get dirty that way. And so the bedrolls went first, then the sheets and blankets one at a time. Levi found himself longing to sew some of these blankets together, so that they might better fit over the makeshift mattress he fashioned out of the bedrolls. It would be worth looking into, he decided. Perhaps tomorrow. This would do for at least one night. It would be far better than having to go to sleep on cold, hard stone.

The light was fading noticeably, but Levi was happy with what he had made.

He thought about the bed he had made. Applying the term nest to it seemed like an oddly intimate thing. Something permanent, like he planned to keep it safe. It looked safe, an arrangement of softness nestled into a dip in the stone, protected by the hulking boulders.

It felt strange to have these arrangements again. Clothes. A bed.

No doubt Eren wasn’t too happy about the clothes part, but he could deal with it. It felt stupid, that layers of thin cloth could give even an illusion of protection. But they did. It gave Levi some bizarre sense of control. Eren couldn’t read him as easily. Not to mention that, given a lifetime of wearing clothes, it felt _normal_.

Levi could use all the normalcy he could get.

Before the sun could set, Levi made his way back to find Eren. He didn’t know how they would handle official sleeping arrangements now that they were on civilised terms with each other…more or less. It would need to be discussed.

Only Eren wasn’t waiting where Levi had left him. The area where Eren had been hiding was almost completely dark and Levi had anxiously felt his way there, eyes straining, only to discover that the place was deserted.

How troublesome.

It wasn’t hard to locate the arachnid. Levi found him on his way back to the main cave, pausing and frowning at the creeping spider.

Each step was tentative, with an effort to be silent, but Eren wasn’t stalking exactly. His goal seemed to be Levi’s nest. The wide eyes and almost fearful approach made Levi sure that the brunet held no ill intentions, however. Eren looked so nervous.

He’d clearly ascertained that Levi was not around, and that seemed to be the reason for his approach. With no one to supervise him, the arachnid sneaked closer. Eren’s steps were very careful and he was probably still dizzy, but that didn’t stop him.

Eren crept up and over the boulders like he might somehow spook the blankets or alert Levi to his presence and have to run for cover. It was like he was forbidden, somehow, from being near this place. Eren’s eyes were wide even despite the discomfort it must have caused, the orbs filled with curiosity. He observed the bedding arranged into a little dip in the cave floor, taking it all in. Here, Levi had spent some time meticulously arranging the few bedrolls alongside each other: two side by side and the last on top of those two. There would be more padding between him and the stone floor that way. The thinnest blanket had been stretched over this base to hold it together, and above that Levi had arranged all the remaining blankets and furs. He had a pillow, thin but better than nothing, salvaged at one end of the bedding where his head would rest. All in all, Levi thought it counted as a fine nest. Decent by his own standards, at least.

It would be warm enough. Better than the bed he had known back home, for this one was wholly his own.

Eren seemed...mesmerised. He kept reaching out with a foot or a hand as if to touch the blankets, to grab and inspect them. To test Levi's nest against his own standards, perhaps? But Eren never quite made it. He couldn't quite bring himself to actually touch the blankets. Something stopped him from properly inspecting the bedding and Levi strongly suspected that Eren felt it would be rude to disturb Levi’s nest without having been given an explicit invitation.

It made sense. From what Levi could guess, the nest belonged to whoever made it. In this case, that was Levi. And Levi was only being courted by Eren; there was no official tie that granted additional ownership of this one, tiny space to Eren even though this whole cave system was his.

Levi had built this nest here and, while Eren seemed to take that as a very good sign, it clearly unnerved the arachnid on some level. Probably the same level that made Eren believe that Levi might honestly try and make a living snack out of him. This whole nesting business must be more intimate, or at least more important, than Levi had initially interpreted.

Perhaps only mates nested together?

Maybe it didn't happen like this at all and Levi was overstepping some serious boundaries…

But the strange reverence in Eren's gaze, the wonder glowing in his eyes as he looked down at the little sleeping area, couldn't convince Levi that Eren was anything other than happy at heart. Eren was glad that the Omega would be staying with him. Levi had accepted his offer of courtship, of protection. It was a good start.

He'd just have to figure out the rest as he went.

When Levi finally pushed away from the wall and revealed himself, Eren's head snapped up quickly to look at him - the arachnid's features twisted with panic and guilt alike. Caught so close to the new nesting site, he assumed he was in trouble.

A staccato chirp left Eren's throat, his anxious expression more than enough for Levi to recognise that the sound was meant as an apology.

But no wrath or reprimand came from the raven. Levi made his way over without casting more than a brief glance Eren's way, hoping to convey that he wasn't offended by the brunet's presence or his curiosity in any way. Eren still swallowed audibly as Levi came closer, but otherwise remained deathly still. Afraid to move? Dizzy from looking up so fast? Levi didn't know and he didn't ask. There was every chance that Eren's fear of females was getting to him even now, and the raven was beginning to accept that that was just how Eren saw him by now. Levi knew that to Eren he smelled of all the same things that were found in the breeders of his species. Fertile and ripe for the taking, he was a carrier and caretaker of young now. At least in the more basic view, that was the truth of it. The fact that Eren had the decency to offer courtship and not just take what he wanted by force was astonishing, even now.

Levi crawled over his little, makeshift bed, tugging the blankets up so that he could scoot in beneath them. For the moment it was cold. Without a fire it would always be cold, but Levi wouldn't push Eren's boundaries again so soon. The raven nestled down, pulled the blankets up over his head, and closed his eyes. He really was tired. Even with the ever-present wariness of a non-human entity nearby, Levi couldn't deny the call of sleep. They had both had a long day, both made their own mistakes and learned their own lessons.

Levi hoped that he wouldn't make another blunder like the one he'd made today. Eren might not forgive him a second time.

Then again, if he could be bribed with such chaste kisses then who was Levi kidding?

The beast was smitten, whether it liked it or not.

Outside Levi’s little haven of blankets, the world seemed quiet. Too quiet. Eren had yet to move, still hovering over the boulders no doubt.

Levi listened. It was easy to hear the moment when Eren finally moved, free from any sort of observation on Levi's part. Eren made no effort to conceal his movements and Levi appreciated that, tracking the little scrapes and muted steps as they passed overhead and paused off to one side of the nest.

Levi waited, but Eren wasn't moving any further away.

"Levi?" Came a surprisingly small voice, confused.

Maybe even a little bit hopeful.

Biting back a sigh, Levi tugged the blankets down just far enough that he could glare over the top. It took an effort on his part not to startle at the sight of Eren looming over him, having crept closer without a sound.

Levi glared harder. “Are you trying to get punched in the face?”

Eren balked a little, a hand coming up as if to defend himself before he realised Levi was only asking him a question.

“N-No?” The arachnid offered.

“Then don’t creep up on people like that, especially not a human or haven’t you noticed by now that we freak out easily? You’re lucky I knew you were close by, but geez.”

“Sorry.”

Levi rolled his eyes, frowning at the hovering brunet. "I hope you realise how creepy you look right now."

Eren blinked down at him, eyes wide and head tilted, that curiosity bright in his stare. He had a blotchy discolouration all over the middle of his face, poor thing, but still managed to look like it didn’t affect him.

"You disappeared in there." Eren observed.

"It's cold out there." Levi said, wondering if that counted as an explanation in the brunet's book. "I was planning on going to sleep." He added.

Eren swallowed. He was nervous, Levi noted.

“Will you...be warm enough?” The brunet asked, his eyes falling to the floor when Levi raised an eyebrow at him. “In there...by yourself?”

Ah. So that was his game.

“You won't fit.” Levi assured him, unsure of why he felt the urge to smirk.

This little shit was persistent. Trying to worm his way into bed on the first peaceful night they would be spending in each other’s presence? How bold.

A little noise of frustration caught in Eren’s throat and he wrung his hands.

“Could I just sit here, then? Please, I won't try to sting you again.”

“That's not exactly the sort of thing I'd be worried about you doing to me while I was asleep.” Levi said, and sure enough Eren's face flushed red.

He knew what Levi meant and understood the implications, but Levi didn't think he'd have anything to worry about in that department. Not from this bashful brute who'd tried so hard just to get into Levi's good books.

Still Eren stammered through his words. “If you think I'd r-risk it, you'd be assuming that I'm a m-much bolder suitor than I am.”

“Nah. You're just the right side of pushover for me.” Levi waved off the frown that earned him. “You don't push too far about the wrong things, it's good. I don't like forceful people.” The raven raised an eyebrow at Eren then. “Although I get the feeling _you_ do.”

Eren went pink to his chest, it was quite flattering on him really, and Levi's suspicions were confirmed in that area at least. The brunet did seem to have a thing for Levi’s bursts of attitude. Levi couldn't help but chuckle at the arachnid's embarrassment as he sputtered and slipped into fitful chirps again. It shouldn’t have been so…endearing.

But, dammit, it was.

Levi couldn’t turn him away.

“Ah geez. You're worse than the village stray.” Levi grumbled half-heartedly, watching Eren’s embarrassment shift into confusion. “I couldn't kick him out either.”

He propped himself up with one elbow, reaching with his free hand to pull the blankets back. It let in the colder air, so Levi waved the arachnid over.

“Come on. But don't get the wrong idea;” Levi warned, even as he encouraged the brunet over, “any funny business and I will rip out every one of your eyes and have them for breakfast.” He frowned. “That's gross, why do I give myself that kind of imagery?”

Eren, bemused as he was by the whole situation, only whimpered. “Please…leave my face alone for now. It’s been traumatised enough for one day.”

Levi couldn’t argue against that point.

“I won’t touch your face, moron.” He huffed. “Just get in here before I come to my senses.”

By the side of the bedding, Eren fretted back and forth.

“You said I wouldn't fit.” He reminded the raven, one foot picking at the edge of the blankets.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Do you _want_ to be left to sleep out there? Because that can be _arranged_.”

With a pitching chitter, Eren scrambled to do as Levi asked and crept beneath the offered blankets.

As predicted, it was not a good fit.

Eren was too big to stay under the blankets without making Levi cold, but he whined whenever Levi threatened to kick him out. Eventually Eren curled up just outside of the blankets, with Levi cocooned happily in all the bedding and having great legs strewn over him. Sleeping with a giant spider dozing and half curled around him was, unsurprisingly, a somewhat horrifying experience.

But...if there was one thing to be appreciated in all this it was that Eren was _warm_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEE?! I love this fic, goddamn.
> 
> P.S. So I've made spider!Eren cute but the jury is still out on whether he can be sexy...mwahaha I will ruin you all with this AU, say goodbye to your standards.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi experience their first civil morning together.

For the first time in a long time, Levi wasn’t so cold that he ached when he started to wade his way back towards consciousness. That was a nice change.

Levi would have been the last person to believe that anything about this arrangement could be considered _nice_.

And yet there he was, bundled up in his new bedding. Warmth was a friend he didn’t want to lose anytime soon, especially since he hadn’t felt warm during the night since he was a tiny child still cuddling with his mother.

Now that had been a _long_ time ago.

Levi had expected to be disappointed by his first night in what could be considered a bed, but it beat cold stone any day of the week. Sleeping without clothes had been a miserable time and Levi couldn’t have been more grateful of the bedding and blankets he had now. He couldn’t care less that the pants he’d worn to bed swallowed his feet or that he had to bunch up the sleeves of his shirt to even see his hands. The price of warmth was ill-fitting clothes and Levi didn’t give a damn about that. It was nice not to be numb for a change. There had been no dreams during the night. No fitful tossing or turning, either. Just comfort. He was tucked against something almost unnaturally warm and scooted closer to the source of that warmth without thought, feeling it shift in response.

A curious sound drifted in the air, close and questioning.

Normally alarm bells would have started to ring by this point; a more aware Levi might have been concerned with the presence of something other than him in his bed.

As it was, he barely reacted. His mind reached out for the sound, turning it over in his head in puzzlement. It was familiar and not, something that Levi wasn’t used to hearing in the fuzzy half-asleep state of the early morning. He tried to shuffle closer to the warm presence, hearing another odd rumble.

In his bleary state, Levi wasn’t confused to realise he understood the inhuman noises in his ears in a very vague way. It should have been confusing. Somehow, though, Levi knew what the noise meant even without any words to accompany it. He had his newly awoken Omegan genes to thank for that; a part of him that was normally dormant became more aware when he wasn’t thinking. It recognised the undertones of the strange, not-quite purring he could hear. The noise…it felt like approval. That would have been an even stranger realisation – Levi could _feel_ the approval in that sound, in the vibrations that reached him. A kind of praise without words, only Levi understood the message anyway. What he was doing was _good_ , he was welcome to do that _more_.

Only…what _was_ he doing?

Levi’s brows furrowed slightly as he tried to identify the warm presence he was plastered to. Was he…cuddling something? He _was_.

How bizarre. Levi didn’t remember the last time he’d cuddled, or been cuddled with for that matter. But it was definitely _him_ doing the cuddling, in fact his apparent snuggling victim seemed almost timid in comparison to the grip Levi realised he’d had. It was probably the heat, a source of physical comfort to cling to throughout the chilly night. Levi let up on said grip, confusion starting to pull him further towards properly waking.

Apparently _less_ snuggling was not what his cuddle-buddy wanted.

The moment Levi even started to pull back from the stifling embrace he’d put upon the other, a disgruntled sound interrupted the silence.

When Levi opened his eyes to find the source of the noise, he had to make a considerable effort not to shout.

He’d leaned away from the warmth and found eight eyes looking back at him.

Levi tried to blink his drowsiness away as his mind raced to put the pieces together for him.

Bed, nest, Eren.

Oh. Eren was in his bed with him. Great. Just exactly what he hadn’t wanted.

Another boundary came crashing down and Levi realised with a start that Eren looked…pretty awful now that his brain noticed.

Eren’s face was startling; it had bruised rather spectacularly overnight in shades of shocking purple. That’s about when Levi noticed that the weight curled over him was being caused by the presence of _legs_ , legs that were _touching_ him and oh shit he was cuddling a spider. What the hell had he been thinking? Levi’s eyes widened at the proximity, a noise of alarm sticking in his throat.

Eren noticed his surprise, initial confusion evaporating into fear. The brunet flinched back with a yelp like he was expecting a blow and ducked for cover.

The arachnid moved to protect his face, essentially hiding beneath Levi’s chin where he remained cringing.

“Please don’t punch me.” The brunet whimpered.

Levi ignored the fact that Eren’s attempt avoid being punched in the face actually put him _even closer_ to the startled raven. Levi stared over the top of the cowering arachnid’s head, wide-eyed, and allowed himself a moment to breathe. Just _breathe_. Calm down. It’s only a spider…only a _huge_ spider, why was this happening to him?

Levi huffed, scowling up at the ceiling.

Whose crummy idea had sharing a sleeping space been again?

What made him think he could wake up next to a gigantic arachnid and not have a panic attack?

_Way too close._

But he could handle this. The initial fright was the worst of it’ once his heart stopped racing Levi felt that he’d be…decently okay with the situation. It wasn’t so bad if he just focused on the fact that Eren was clearly just as scared of him as Levi was of Eren. Eren was probably the _more_ scared out of the both of them.

 The brunet was still hiding, an anxious sound thrumming in his throat. Levi could feel strands of soft hair tickling his collar where Eren had chosen to bury his head, tucked close and safe from any jabs the raven might send his way in panic. Silly twerp. If he just ignored the fact that Eren wasn’t exactly human, the proximity wasn’t so bad, actually. Levi was reminded of just how warm Eren was, noticing that the brunet had managed to sneak himself partway under the blankets. He still didn’t fit, but Eren had managed to wedge himself into Levi’s nest enough that the raven had naturally clung to him for warmth during the night. Apparently Levi’s subconscious instinct to survive overrode the common sense he would have otherwise directed to _not_ cuddling an arachnid. And of course, Eren had to have known that would happen.

Devious little shit, trying to squeeze in extra bonding time while Levi was out for the count.

Eren’s panic was turning out to be quite helpful in chasing off Levi’s initial scare. He actually felt bad for startling the poor, not-so-little beastie. Crap, that had to mean Eren’s little stint was working and Levi really was becoming familiar with him. Well…that did make things easier.

Levi brought up a hand to ruffle Eren’s hair, feeling the brunet stiffen against him.

“You’re lucky I’m tired.” Levi grumbled.

His heart was still racing, but it would pass if he didn’t make a big deal out of things.

Just a guy and a spider snuggling. Nothing to freak out about.

Levi pushed his unease aside and nestled closer with the intention of letting Eren know that he had no plans of getting up anytime soon. It was warm beneath the blankets and the day had barely started. They could afford a few more hours of rest, Levi especially wanted to catch up on sleep after the first two wretched nights spent on bare, freezing stone. Eren remained stiff and befuddled, unsure of what to make of the situation. He had Levi’s chin resting atop his head and an arm draped over his shoulders, fingers grazing the back of his neck.

Eren chirped an unintelligible query and Levi frowned.

“Shush.” He mumbled, the fingers of one hand curling into Eren’s hair at the back of his head. “No noises…too early.”

Eren took that to heart because he didn’t make a single peep after that, as if his life depended on him being a living embodiment of silence. The brunet was still as stone. It was honestly kind of distracting, not to mention weird that he wasn’t breathing normally again.

With a huff, Levi stuffed an arm back beneath the blankets and groped around for Eren’s arms. He found one hovering near but not technically on the raven’s hip. Some kind of whine escaped Eren when his wrist was grabbed but Levi ignored the anxious sound in favour of yanking Eren’s arm around his middle. It was a bit ticklish but if he relaxed it wasn’t too bad. There. Now they could _both_ get their fair share of cuddling before Levi’s better judgement kicked in.

Levi didn’t bother with the second arm, not knowing where he would have put it anyway. Maybe under his head as some kind of pillow?

“…Levi?” Eren whispered, sounding like _he_ was the one who wanted to run for the hills.

Levi grunted in response and adjusted his position. He didn’t want to get pins and needles and his left foot had been starting to feel a little numb.

“Levi?” Eren tried again.

Levi didn’t bother trying to chat, since the whole point of this was that he wanted to go back to sleep for a while. He heard Eren give a painfully resigned sigh, shaky on the exhale, like the brunet was about to sign his own death warrant. He was trembling and not from the cold. Levi frowned.

It was weird, what did Eren have to be scared of?

Levi held him a little tighter and hoped that the tremors would go away. They were distracting in more ways than one, and he really didn’t want to be developing emotional concerns for his spidery host come captor.

Eren’s hands moved after a while, slow like he was worried Levi might spook and flee. Or worse, lash out. Eren’s worry of violence from Levi was something that neither of them were particularly good at handling, but the raven didn’t move to stop Eren. Levi tracked the movement of Eren’s hands from where the blankets shifted, managing not to react when he felt fingers in his hair. That, apparently, was their intended destination. Well at least he’d gotten that far. The brunet was still shaking slightly; Levi felt it best just to let him do his own thing. Whatever would get him to stop panicking.

It was a little bit funny to think that Eren still hadn’t figured out that he had nothing at all to fear from Levi. What could the raven really do if it came down to them fighting? Well…aside from bopping Eren on the nose?

What was strange was that Levi felt guilty even thinking about it hypothetically.

He’d seen how Eren had reacted to even a playful (if poorly thought out) tap. The sounds Eren had made were still vivid in Levi’s memory; he didn’t think he would easily forget such noises. The bump would have hurt anyone, of course. Noses were, in general, not a fun place to be hit under pretty much any circumstances. But it clearly been agony for Eren. It had been an accident, definitely, but one Levi was glad that he had made without causing the arachnid any real damage. He couldn’t imagine what might have happened had he made this discovery later, in a real argument.

Levi did not regret his actions, only that it had come at the expense of hurting Eren. The information he’d learned had been valuable.

As weaknesses went, it wasn’t something Levi could even use against Eren on most occasions. Eren kept himself up high and out of reach. Smart beastie. But no, Levi didn’t think he could bring himself to use such a dirty tactic on Eren…even if it meant his escape.

Levi tuned back into the situation, eyes closed.

He could hear Eren breathing at least. A small comfort.

Eren was still playing with his hair and he seemed to be shaking less. Good. He still froze up when Levi shifted again, pushing at Eren so that he could use the brunet’s shoulder to rest his head. It was warmer that way. Now Eren got to know how weird it was having someone breathing down his front.

It took a long time for Eren to move again, and even then it was only to start breathing properly once more. Gradually those cautious fingers returned, tracing odd, feathery touches through Levi’s inky hair. There didn’t seem to be any sort of pattern. The rhythm was the same, very slow, and Eren’s hands felt like they were barely there at times. It tickled a little, but Eren starting shivering when Levi tried to brush his hands away so the raven let him be.

The last thing he needed was for Eren to burst into tears.

Levi didn’t even know what he’d done to make the arachnid so antsy. Maybe it wasn’t even him at all? This could even be normal for all he knew.

Except it obviously wasn’t normal, but Levi felt like mentioning that he thought so would only alarm Eren further. That was the last thing that either of them needed. A giant spider to spoon against was worrying enough, but a panicking giant spider was exactly the opposite of what Levi needed.

He let his mind wander, hoping to drift back into unconsciousness for a while before they would need to get up.

There wasn’t anything that Levi could immediately think of to do. He could attempt to tidy up the cave? Move some of Eren’s odd treasures around again and see if he couldn’t find any other useful things?

He thought about that for a while. Maybe half an hour.

It was obvious that neither of them had really slept in before. Levi couldn’t seem to do much more than doze and Eren kept fidgeting, overflowing with nervous energy that kept making him shift his legs or look around. And all the while his hands kept fiddling with something in Levi’s hair. There was definitely something going on there. Something was tickling Levi’s ear and it wasn’t Eren’s fingers because they were busy doing things to the raven’s fringe.

Eren fidgeted his legs again and _that_ tickled too.

Levi smacked his shoulder, displeased to have lost Eren as a pillow somewhere along the line. His own pillow was fine, but not as warm.

A few more minutes passed but finally curiosity got the better of him.

“What are you doing to my hair?” Levi asked, his words sleepy and slow.

He felt Eren freeze, a worried sound escaping the arachnid. Levi didn’t know what he was so freaked out about, he had actually been about to tell Eren that what he’d been doing felt nice…whatever it was.

“I-I’m sorry.” Eren was already starting to stutter out apologies.

Well that was never a good sign. If Eren was apologising this profusely before Levi even knew what he’d been up to then it had to be spectacular sort of mishap.

Levi opened his eyes against his better judgement, sighing at what he found. Eren had a very fine strand of web in his hands, just holding it carefully between his fingers. It was coming from-actually Levi really didn’t want to think about where it was coming from. But it seemed to end in Levi’s hair, obviously the reason behind of Eren’s previous hair-touching ventures. Little wisps of white could be seen in the bits of hair that fell into Levi’s face and he could only imagine what the rest of his hair looked like.

Levi let go of another exhale. “I’m not mad,” he started, because he wasn’t mad but he was confused, “but I do want to know _why_?”

He expected Eren not to answer. Instead explanations started tumbling out of the brunet’s mouth.

“Y-You were startled before and I didn’t want to make you angry, it was the only thing I c-could think of.”

Levi’s eyes focused on the fine web strands woven into his fringe, squinting before refocusing his eyes on Eren’s face. He raised an eyebrow.

“What in the world made you think that a cobweb tiara would make me not want to hit you?”

Surprisingly, Eren looked offended.

“They’re not _cobwebs_.” He said, sounding deeply insulted, like Levi had somehow uttered a dirty word without knowing it.

Levi just blinked at him, confused. “You’ve lost me.”

Eren looked like he wanted to cross his arms but that would mean jeopardising his web, so instead he just frowned.

“Cobwebs are _abandoned_ webs.” The brunet said, his frown turning worried. “Do you think I will abandon you?”

“No. I…I didn’t know that about….about cobwebs.” Levi blinked again, amazed that he could actually get lectured on his lack of spider etiquette... _by a spider_. “I’m sorry?” He offered.

Eren was quiet, seeming to mull over the words.

“Apology accepted.” He said finally, deeming that Levi was adequately remorseful.

“Well thank heavens for that.” Levi remarked dryly. “In that case, what in the world made you think that a _web_ tiara would make me not want to hit you?” He asked again, without offending Eren this time.

In fact now that they had returned to their original topic, Eren seemed…embarrassed?

_Never_ a good sign.

“Um…b-because…”

Levi watched the arachnid stumble over his words without ever really saying anything, all while an increasingly deep blush crept its way up from his neck all the way to his ears.

“Eren. The more flustered you become without explaining something to me, the more suspicious it makes me.”

Eren squirmed uncomfortably, which in turn made Levi uncomfortable because seeing a spider squirm was an adventure in and of itself. Having a spider _squirm_ _against you_ was more than enough adventure for one day.

Levi prodded Eren’s shoulder and the brunet stilled.

“Come on.” Levi encouraged, if staring the brute in the face could be called encouragement. “Spit it out, already. You can tell me.”

Eren seemed to doubt that, making a face. “You won’t be upset with me?”

“Well I can’t promise that because I don’t know what it is that you’ve done yet, moron.” Levi shrugged with one shoulder, sighing. “I won’t hurt you, but I can’t promise I won’t be mad.”

Eren sighed in defeat. “Alright. It’s…well it’s not something I would _normally_ do, just I had no idea how to calm you down earlier and you know you’re actually quite startling to look at when you’re frowning-”

“Eren.” Levi cut in patiently.

“Mm.” The brunet hummed back in anxious response.

“You’re rambling.”

Eren winced, taking a deep breath to calm himself. “Sorry.” He said, and with one last cringe he said it. “It’s a technique used to calm agitated females.”

Levi raised an eyebrow at the explanation.

“That’s it?” He squinted. That didn’t seem so weird. “How was that difficult to explain? What were you so worried about?”

The brunet ploughed onwards.

“It’s just a little extreme given that it’s typically reserved for mid-copulation and-”

“Oh.” Levi said, interrupting Eren with his expressionless realisation.

Well…that explained why Eren was so embarrassed.

Given how unpleasant female spiders seemed to be, Levi figured he understood the deal. He was a little confused as to why he was scary enough that Eren would resort to such lengths to calm him down. It was probably a fear of the unknown thing. Eren didn’t know how to calm down an Omega, so he resorted immediately to his most drastic measure in case Levi reacted badly to being startled upon waking. Levi could see Eren watching him, the brunet knew exactly the kinds of mental connections Levi was making.

Eren turned impossibly redder.

“They c-can get kind of grumpy,” Eren carried on valiantly, though he looked like he wanted to melt right out of existence, “wh-what with all the suitors they go through, you see-”

“I see.” Levi said.

The arachnid hurried to backpedal. “N-Not that you’re like that in any way! Well…not that I would know if you were. I’m making this worse for myself, aren’t I?” Eren asked.

Levi nodded.

Eren bleated in panic and he spoke in a rush. “I’m very sorry! I swear I didn’t mean anything untoward by it! My survival instinct kind of kicked in when you looked like you were about to scream and rip my eyes out with your bare hands and I didn’t know what else to do…”

Dammit. Levi couldn’t deny that Eren’s worries, while very real to the brunet, were adorable. He’d panicked so much at Levi _waking up_ …that he’d jumped right into some kind of spidery foreplay to avoid becoming breakfast.

“Where I’m from, we try and talk through these things.”

“O-Okay.”

Suddenly Levi snorted. “You brat. Our first proper morning together and you take one look at me and your survival instincts kick in?” He laughed. “I must be doing something right, or else I should be feeling pretty offended right about now.”

Eren tried to backtrack, confused into silence when Levi scoffed a laugh at him.

“It’s fine, I’m joking.” He assured the fretting arachnid. “So what’s the hype about this web headdress? Do all the spider ladies swoon over whoever makes the best tiara?”

Eren wrinkled his nose in distaste only to yelp when it hurt his bruised face.

“Sorry, sorry.” Levi winced, feeling bad all over again. “You don’t have to answer. Were you finished? Because I didn’t mind.”

Eren looked unsure. “It’s a preservation thing. Not everyone does it, but if a female gets agitated sometimes a little physical comfort it all it takes to calm them down.”

He’d answered, but made no move to continue where he’d left off on his web work.

Levi supposed it made sense. A little tactile comfort in a no-doubt stressful situation was surprisingly thoughtful for a critter.

“Would you feel better if you kept going?” Levi asked, and he hoped he looked half as comforting as he tried to sound.

Eren didn’t answer, probably figuring it wasn’t his place to decide. Sighing, Levi closed his eyes again and made himself comfortable, waiting to see what Eren would do. His front was getting a little chilly from where Eren’s stiff posture had lifted part of the blankets, letting some of the warm air escape, but he could deal with it. When Eren’s hands started up their careful work again, Levi could honestly say that he felt better. Never in a million years would he have thought that he’d be willingly letting someone weave tiny strands of spider silk into his hair, but nothing that happened out here was what he expected it to be.

It was a little weird…like the one time some of the village twerps had tried braiding his hair while he’d been sitting on the porch mending clothes. This was a bit like that, he supposed. Just one of those things that entertained someone else, something to endure for the sake of someone else’s sanity. Levi figured it was the thought that counted, and he didn’t hate the feeling.

He wished he had a mirror, though. Levi had no doubt that he looked ridiculous right about then, but Eren didn’t seem to think so.

The brunet didn’t laugh once. In fact he seemed to be taking this all very seriously.

Eren seemed so worried, like at any moment Levi’s patience might snap and the raven would shove him away or worse. Levi let him be, running idle fingers along skin that was definitely warmer than normal. Eren was still flushed, Levi realised as he peeked through one eye. The brunet was utterly focused on his task and didn’t seem aware of Levi’s subtle staring. There was pink on Eren’s face, apparent even with the bruising, and even the tips of his ears had reddened.

It was nerves, Levi knew. He resumed his hand’s idle wandering, feeling flesh shiver as he traced over it. Eren wasn’t built soft, but there was still give to his skin. He wasn’t made of stone, even if he could stand as still as one and lay in wait. Scary bastard.

Apparently they could both come across as scary when they wanted to.

Even when they didn’t want to.

A while later Eren paused, regarding his handiwork with nervous eyes. Those eyes flickered down to meet patient grey and Eren stiffened at discovering that he was being observed.

“Are you done?” Levi asked, glancing up at the worried brunet.

Eren’s mouth turned down on one side and he regarded Levi closely, looking unsure.

“Are you calm?” The brunet asked in turn.

Levi huffed a brief laugh. “Yes. A little weirded out, but sure. I’m calm. So does this stuff come out or do I keep it in?”

Eren made another face but it was clear he was disappointed, thinking that Levi would destroy all his hard work.

“Geez, enough with that face. I’ll leave it for now.” Levi allowed, feeling his chest tighten at the way Eren’s face lit up. The raven rolled his eyes, hoping to play it casual. “Get over here; you’re letting the cold in.”

They shifted about for a bit, Levi grumbling about the cold while they both tried to fit Eren under the blankets properly. It was a wasted effort. They would need to stitch blankets together before they’d have one big enough for the arachnid. Eren settled for wedging himself in at the edge, bundling Levi up in the rest of the bedding as best he could.

It felt nice to be tended to, and Levi was one hundred percent sure that was his newly awakened Omega talking. He blamed it for the new appreciation of snuggling, too.

Eren didn’t seem to mind the cuddling. He looked a little thrown off by it, clearly not used to such a friendly (if that was the right term for it) partner. Levi guessed that not a lot of Eren’s regular kin were that interested in this kind of intimacy. Snuggling for the sake of it. Or in Levi’s case, for warmth and to allow himself to get used to Eren’s presence.

He felt acutely aware of Eren staring at him and opened his eyes.

Sure enough a myriad of eyes looked back at him, a little frown building on Eren’s face. He seemed pretty deep in thought and it made Levi suspicious. It was a good kind of suspicious, though. The kind where Levi was almost certain that he knew what Eren was thinking so hard about, if the way the brunet kept glancing at his mouth was any indication.

“You’re thinking really hard over there.” Levi observed aloud.

The brunet barely reacted, still mulling over whatever inner debate he had going on.

“Mm.” Eren hummed an affirmative.

Levi smirked, noting how the movement caught Eren’s attention immediate. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle.

Then again there was a good chance that Eren didn’t know _how_ to be subtle.

“Don’t hurt yourself.” Levi said, surprised when even that didn’t get much of a reaction. He let out a quiet laugh of disbelief. “What could possibly have you so concentrated, hm? What are you thinking about?”

Would he admit it?

“Kissing.” Eren mumbled, staring blatantly.

Oh. He would admit it.

Levi wondered just how determined he really was.

“That’s funny, because I’m pretty sure you haven’t had much experience in that area.” He challenged, raising an eyebrow. “Mustn’t be that much to think about?”

He expected Eren to wither but it didn’t happen.

“I was thinking about doing it more.” Eren confessed.

They were really going there, weren’t they? And Levi had promised that he wouldn’t wuss out; if Eren asked about human habits and courting and yes, even kissing, Levi had agreed to teach him.

“Oh yeah?” Levi asked, tilting his head to watch Eren’s eyes follow his mouth. Damned critter was awfully persistent. “And how did you think you’d achieve that little goal of yours?”

The very first signs of nerves became apparent when Eren finally looked at Levi properly, swallowing his anxiety with some difficulty.

“I was going to start by asking.” The brunet said, watching Levi’s face for any sign that he was going about this the wrong way.

Levi nodded. “Good choice.”

“Because I value my life, and my face.”

“Ah, the planned approach?” Levi smirked again, both of his eyebrows raising up. “I would have thought you’d just go for it.”

Eren winced, like he’d been considering it. “I didn’t think that would have been received very well.”

“You’d have been right about that.” Levi confirmed.

It wasn’t untrue. Having a half-spider mash their face against you without warning would be traumatising for anyone.

Levi worked himself up to it. A little teasing for Eren would help to calm Levi down about the whole idea.

And besides, it was fun to mess with the twerp.

“Can I kiss you, Levi?” Eren asked, all earnest eyes like it was the most important thing in the world for him to be allowed that permission.

“I don’t know. _Can you_?” Levi teased. “You know how, right?”

Eren’s mouth turned down into a little, despairing frown. “A little.”

It was a nice mouth, as mouths went. Soft, although a little despondent at the moment with that pretty pout Eren had going on. The bruising hadn’t spread quite that far. A little discolouration lingered around the skin under Eren’s nose but if they weren’t too energetic then it would probably be okay.

Levi couldn’t imagine that it would feel bad kissing Eren.

“Too scared to try out your basics?” He asked, mostly teasing but honestly a little curious too.

Eren knew at least in a very vague way that kissing involved mouths touching. It was enough to go on.

“I don’t want to lose an eye.” Eren confessed, letting go of an anxious chirp.

Levi let just one of his eyebrows arch up and lowered his lids a little. “I’d be more worried about losing your _tongue_.” He said, fighting back his own embarrassment at the attempted sultry tone to see the effect it would have on the brunet.

It was priceless.

Eren’s eyes widened all at once. “Why would I lose my tongue? Are you going to take it somewhere?”

Levi couldn’t resist the snort that escaped him. Very attractive, nice going.

He was still smirking his amusement when he spoke. “Well I was considering introducing it to _my_ tongue but I can see how that might be a bit too grown up for a naïve little critter like you.”

Eren might have retorted, but he was a little preoccupied by all the blood rushing to his face.

“Y-You can kiss with your tongue? How?” The arachnid asked, seeming equal parts disgusted and intrigued.

“Find out.” Levi dared him.

Eren looked a lot less sure of himself all of a sudden. He had been reminded of just how little he knew about all of this. His previous determination was buried under worries of how he might lose his tongue and how inconvenient that would be since he needed it to convince Levi not to punch him.

Levi couldn’t help it. He laughed.

“Come on, do your worst.” He said finally, making himself comfortable. “I promise I won’t bite, at least not the first time.”

That didn’t make Eren feel any better.

“It’s not the first time.” Eren stated, leaning away with a suspicious glint in his eyes.

Levi just sent him a lazy smile, seeming thoroughly amused with the situation.

“How are you going to learn more from all the way over there?” He taunted playfully, stretching out just to torment Eren a little more.

It was a torturously slow effort on Eren’s part, first finding somewhere for his hands to go and then figuring out how to lean over without squishing his surly Omega. After a lot of helpful arranging on Levi’s part they had a decently comfortable entanglement going on. Eren didn’t seem particularly comforted by the presence of Levi’s hands around his shoulders, nor by the fingers that played idly with his hair. If it felt bad, Levi was sure he would have heard about it. No, Eren just seemed distracted. Worried.

“It’s not that bad, is it?” Levi muttered.

Eren startled, wincing. “N-Not bad. New, though.”

When he finally got brave enough to lean in, Levi could have sworn he almost melted from the precious dab of a kiss Eren gave him. He just froze there, mouths barely touching, and proceeded to look extremely nervous.

“You’re some stupid kind of adorable,” Levi muttered against Eren’s mouth, smirking at the strangled sound he heard in respond, “I don’t get it.”

Levi didn’t really know how to…explain kissing. It could be friendly and completely innocent, just a gesture between friends or family. But it could also be decidedly intimate, generally when tongues came into play but Levi tried to get the basics down before he tried anything more.

“Can you do this?” Levi asked, pushing his lips into a pucker.

He watched Eren raise an eyebrow. Levi rolled his eyes, tapping a finger against his own pursed lips until Eren attempted to mirror him.

Eren nodded.

“Does it hurt?” Levi asked then, noticing the flicker of discomfort Eren displayed.

Eren relaxed out of the expression. “A little.” He admitted. “Not too much.”

“You’re still recovering.” Levi said, mostly to himself. “Right, well. Just…I don’t know, feel what I do and see if you don’t hate it. Sound good?”

The fervent nod was encouraging and Levi almost laughed at the brunet. He was confused but just as eager.

Human intimacy seemed complicated to Eren, but he was determined to understand as much as Levi would teach him. The arachnid was obediently still when Levi leaned across to bring their mouths together. It was tricky being gentle. Levi braced a hand on Eren’s shoulder so that he wouldn’t lose his balance and end up crashing their noses together. It wouldn’t be fun for either of them, but Eren would probably not forgive him for hurting his nose twice in less than a week.

They were careful. Eren got a little anxious and would start to chitter whenever Levi nipped at him, so he decided to save that for later when they were both more comfortable.

Once they got started…it wasn’t so bad. It was far from awful. If Levi was honest with himself, he didn’t mind kissing Eren at all. But was that his own acceptance or influence from the Omega in him? Levi had no idea. As far as he knew, being an Omega didn’t magically make kissing monsters pleasant, which meant it had to be him. But then again they had spent the night together and Levi was positive that his newfound adjustment to having Eren nearby was because his inner Omega was bonding with the arachnid, slowly but surely.

That could only be a good thing. The sooner neither of them wanted to bite each other’s heads off, the better.

“And this is how humans express their devotion?” Eren asked, talking against Levi’s mouth.

The raven exhaled through his nose, but he wasn’t that frustrated.

He gave a shrug. “Essentially. It’s like…feeling someone, like memorising a lover with your hands but you…use your mouth?” Levi tried. “I mean that doesn’t sound entirely stupid. You can kiss someone anywhere, although I’d keep anything questionable to the privacy of your home.”

“What counts as questionable?” Eren asked, blinking.

Levi glowered at him. “I’ll make it easy for you: if you have to _think_ _about_ whether or not it’s appropriate, then it probably isn’t.”

“O-Okay.” Eren nodded and Levi ignored the way he flushed. “S-So…you don’t have to kiss on the mouth?”

“No.”

“But people usually do?”

“Yes.” Levi said, then made a face. “Well, it’s usually the most convenient option and a good way to express affection without getting too weird. Friends usually just go for the cheek or the forehead, something safe. If you’re more than friends, it tends to be on the mouth. You can go for the neck or face, but like I said it could be anywhere so long as both parties are clear on what’s happening. That and you make sure not to traumatise any nearby children.”

Eren laughed at that.

Thank goodness not all of Levi’s humour was lost on the brunet.

Teaching Eren how to kiss wasn’t difficult, exactly, but it did involve a lot of questions. A lot of questions, most asked before Levi could properly answer the last one.

“But _why_ do people kiss? I still don’t get it.”

“Yes it feels nice but that’s not what I asked, Levi…wait, is that why?”

“It’s not specific between mates? It is?”

“Does that mean that you and I are-ow! Ow, I’m sorry.”

Eren learned that it wasn’t wise to make assumptions while his tongue was in someone else’s mouth.

He seemed pretty disturbed with that part of kissing when they made it there. Eren flinched when, after much dedication to chaste kisses, Levi licked at his mouth. The arachnid backed off with a concerned bleat.

“What?” Levi asked, frowning at the brunet’s wary expression. “Eren. I’m not going to fucking eat you.”

He coaxed the arachnid back down again with a hand curled sternly into Eren’s hair to keep him there, and was exploring the bizarrely pleasant interior of Eren’s mouth when the brunet felt the need to speak. _Again_.

“It feels like you are.” He said, although it had sounded a lot more garbled with Levi’s tongue in the way of him trying to form words.

With a scowl, Levi had pulled away to glower up at the arachnid’s goofy face.

“Then what do you look so pleased about?”

Eren gave a dopey shrug, thrumming away happily. “You taste good.”

Levi glared at him. “See, now that makes me worried that _I’m_ going to be the one who gets eaten.”

He let Eren lick his way tentatively into his mouth, though. Far too much tongue, but he was exploring on his own at the very least. Eren responded better to actions rather than Levi’s attempted explanations. When Levi set a rhythm, Eren copied it as best he could. At some point he started thrumming although the sound was more excited than nervous this time. The vibrations felt pretty nice and Levi let Eren know that with a little, happy sound.

It had been going rather well. Eren was relaxed for the most part and getting far too much enjoyment from the way Levi had shifted his head. It readjusted the way their mouths fit together, something about the new angle made Eren turn positively liquid.

He stiffened briefly, a noise of discontent cut off in his throat when Levi had immediately backed off.

They were still testing how much pressure Eren could handle before his face started to hurt. It was very tender and when Levi forgot himself, it was never long before Eren would wince. He never backed off once, too engrossed in this new behaviour, but it was clear that he was experiencing some unpleasantness.

Levi was sucking at the brunet’s upper lip when a proper yelp shattered the quiet, startling them both.

“Ouch.” Eren did pull away this time, wincing for a moment as he pressed gingerly at his mouth.

Levi watched him feel carefully, but the brunet was clearly more interested in new pleasures than his own discomfort because he leaned back in after only a moment. He seemed fine, so Levi let him be.

For all of about ten seconds before Eren whimpered again.

“Alright,” Levi leaned away, pushing a hand against Eren’s sternum to keep him at bay when the other predictably tried to follow him, “that’s enough kissing for you for one day.”

“But-”

Levi shook his head. “Don’t give me that look. Stop it. Pouting will get you nowhere when I know you’d rather risk hurting yourself than waste time.” He stared at Eren hard, making sure the brute was paying attention. “There will be time. I’m not going anywhere, or did you not notice that I’m stuck here?”

“Levi…” Eren’s whine trailed off into a string of sounds that Levi couldn’t interpret and the brunet bedded his head against the raven’s chest in tantrum.

Eren didn’t seem all that upset, more drunk than anything with the way he was cooing out spidery nonsense against Levi’s chest. He seemed particularly satisfied for someone who had spent the better part of half an hour being kissed senseless.

Levi clicked his tongue at the feeling of lips exploring his collar, warm fingers coaxing his oversized shirt aside.

The raven huffed. “You’re incorrigible.”

It didn’t stop Levi from winding fingers into Eren’s hair. If he was that eager to explore, Levi wasn’t about to stop him. Not unless he got into any dangerous territory but the brunet seemed perfectly fascinated with Levi’s neck for the moment.

And, dammit, it didn’t feel nearly as awkward as it should have.

Neither had the cuddling, come to think of it. Well, aside from the moments where Levi’s brain kept reminding him that the thing he’d been wrapped around was half-spider. All those legs were still a little weird.

A lot weird. They threw him off, but he’d get over it eventually.

For the muted comfort of a little human (or inhuman) contact, Levi was willing to forgive Eren his differences.

“Just where do you think that hand is going?”

“N-N-Nowhere!”

So long as the twerp stuck to his boundaries.

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things happened in this that were not in the plot outline for this chapter when I started.
> 
> Eren's silk-weaving is an actual strategy that you can read about in [this article](http://insider.si.edu/2011/10/suitors-gentle-massage-sooths-aggressive-cannibalistic-female-spiders-researchers-find/) if you want to know more about that, which I found when I was reading up on spidery stuff. And I thought it was actually kind of an adorable behaviour and it suited Eren in this so much, poor, nervous baby.
> 
> Fake science dictates that Levi's kisses do drug Eren with feel-good chemicals (similar to that of an Alpha, which the Omega would try to appease with this same tactic to avoid violent outbursts). Therefore yes, Eren is absolutely high at the end there.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to Jesus I am still writing, it's just been crazy o_o but here! Have chpt 10 finally!

 

“This stuff does come out, right?” Levi asked.

He picked at the web he could see and the fine strands stuck to him, looking so delicate but refusing to break.

The look Levi sent Eren was somewhere between helpless and exasperated.

Eren came to his rescue without needing to be asked further. His hard work was sacrificed for the sake of Levi’s wishes, his comfort, and Levi felt a little guilty for wanting the stuff gone. It was a force of habit. But Eren didn’t seem upset. He’d been allowed to weave his silk in the first place and that, apparently, was enough to assure him of Levi’s interest.

Thinking about getting web out of his hair brought other worries to the raven’s mind. Like bathing. That was something he would need to negotiate with Eren sooner rather than later.

Survival had trumped his usually chronic need to be dirt-free.

It could wait until he had the impromptu tiara out of his hair. Probably. Levi sat cross-legged in the bedding, Eren arranged somewhere close behind him. The groggy brunet assured Levi that yes, the silk would come out. It would just take a little while.

So Levi was left to stare at boulders while the job got done, unequipped to deal with the task himself. Eren helped Levi remove the strands of fine spider silk from his hair, the raven sitting quietly while Eren’s nimble fingers carefully picked apart his work. His fingers were quite gentle as they separated web from hair, meticulous in their task. The brunet seemed a lot less frantic now that he knew for certain that Levi was calm. Hell, Eren himself seemed pretty docile and happy right about then. Levi was starting to suspect that Omegan saliva was different from human saliva, because Eren was a little _too_ affectionate all of a sudden. His head was up in the sky somewhere, his throat full of lovey sounds that made Levi suspicious of how much attention he was paying.

Levi sighed. He gave the brute one damned kissing lesson and now Eren was going to walk all over him and his boundaries. Just great.

Whatever Eren was humming was distracting. It didn’t seem like the previous, anxious vibrations that stirred in Eren’s throat whenever he thought Levi was about to get cross. This was much higher pitched. A little bit sweet.

Almost like singing, or cooing maybe.

It was a pretty thing to listen to but it only confirmed Levi’s theory that Eren was intoxicated.

A drunken monster. No, even better – a love drunk monster. Who would have thought something like that could even happen? Levi smiled privately at the thought, playing with the ends of his sleeves while he waited.

Somewhere along the line Eren’s little song changed to actual chirping. He didn’t appear to notice he was doing it; Levi suspected the big dope was trying to tell him something but was too out of it to realise he wasn’t making any sense.

“Words, Eren.” Levi reminded the brunet, reaching back to tousle Eren’s hair.

Another inhuman noise met his ears, though this one was decidedly confused. Eren whined, probably yawning, and managed a garbled sentence of apology by Levi’s ear.

At least he was working his way back towards words. Eren seemed to drift back into whatever dialect that his kind normally used quite often, which Levi felt wasn’t necessarily a bad sign. If it could happen so easily, then perhaps Eren just felt comfortable?

After a while it felt like Eren might be just petting his hair and Levi bit back a laugh.

“Are you done back there?”

“Mmm.” Eren hummed.

He sounded far too pleased with himself, and all for being vaguely useful.

Levi scoffed, but it was an amused sound for the most part. The raven figured he was as web-free as he would ever be and pushed upwards to stand, turning to take in the damage – one groggy and smiling Eren looking up at him like he was the funniest thing in the world. There was a goofy grin on Eren’s face, his eyes glassy and low-lidded. Levi rolled his eyes.

Spider boy was definitely under some kind of influence. It didn’t seem to be a bad thing.

“You’re pretty nimble for a creature with such few limbs.” Eren observed blearily.

The arachnid blinked up at Levi, features pulling into a frown like the raven was a particularly confusing puzzle.

“How do you humans not fall over all the time?” He asked, incredulous as only the very high could be.

Levi just shook his head at the dopey brunet.

“Come on, then.” Levi said, extending his hands to help the arachnid stand up. “Up you get, you big lunatic.”

Levi heaved at Eren’s offered hands but felt like he wasn’t actually much help as the brunet got himself to his feet. It was a bit touch and go for a moment. A lot of almost stumbling, but Eren managed to stand upright when push came to shove. He was a bit wobbly, confused at how tricky it was to take even little steps in his hazy state. Clearly being drugged by kisses was not something that the brunet often had to contend with.

Levi covered his mouth with a hand, smiling privately at the thought.

Amidst his confused stumbling, Eren looked to Levi for answers only to break out into another sleepy smile.

Levi didn’t know if he should laugh or groan. “Yeah…definitely enough kisses for you for one day.”

Eren let out a high and trembling whine at that, sounding devastated.

Levi shook his head. “Don’t give me that. You can’t even walk in a straight line right now, can you?”

The shaky line Eren attempted to walk was better than Levi had been expecting. Slow, but more or less straight.

“Not awful.” Levi allowed. “Maybe sit down for a while, though.”

Surprisingly Eren didn’t argue. He passed by Levi with a happy sound, reaching out to brush fingers along the raven’s shoulders and the back of his neck as he went. The contact startled Levi, but Eren didn’t notice him stiffen. The arachnid made right for Levi’s nest, all but collapsing onto the bedding with another inhuman chirp, and Levi watched Eren burrow his way under the blankets as best he could. His head was buried successfully, but legs stuck out everywhere. If it didn’t look so stupid, Levi might have almost been worried at the sight.

The resulting pile of blanket-covered Eren started thrumming away happily and Levi rolled his eyes.

He was going to have to rearrange all that bedding later. Just great. Then again it had been pretty messy before. Levi wasn’t all that bothered by it, he probably would have remade the nest anyway.

While Eren got over his little smitten spell, Levi considered what he might do for the day. There was quite a lot that needed to be sorted out, like bathing arrangements and finding a more permanent food supply. Even looking for a better place to build a fire, should Eren ever let him make one inside the cave again. That would have to be a compromise. Levi needed fire to prepare food and to stay warm on particularly cold nights.

Although if he was allowed to leave the cave to prepare food, then smoke would be less of a problem. So would hunting. And…well, pretty much all the issues Levi could think of, really.

They would need to talk about that.

Eren himself was warm enough that Levi could use him as his own personal source of heat during the nights, but he couldn’t let himself make too many compromises. The reality of the situation was a simple one. Eren was the monster here. He already had every advantage over the situation, save for the fact that Levi now knew about one unfortunate little weakness of his. And to be perfectly honest, Levi didn’t ever want to hear Eren screeching in agony ever again. With that in mind, Eren had ever advantage. Which meant that he should be the one to compromise on things, not the other way around.

But until Eren was done with his little smitten dizzy fit, there wouldn’t be much point in negotiating.

So Levi plopped himself down on a relatively mossy bit of ground next to the nest and thought.

The raven wondered what he might do to try and normalise this new life of his. Back in the village he hadn’t slept in either. He stirred whenever the sun reached its blinding fingers through the gaps in the frayed curtains to wake him, then started on his chores. Anything from weeding the garden to repairing the roof. Whatever needed taking care of around the house was done, normally in descending order from most to least important.

But here there was no roofing that needed mending and no garden for him to organise.

Maybe he could build a garden? It would have to be outside; there wasn’t enough dirt in even the deeper crevices in the cave for healthy plants to grow. Yet another thing he and Eren would have to talk about.

“Do you know what a garden is?” Levi blurted out, poking one uncovered leg with his toes.

That felt weird. He immediately regretted the decision, withdrawing his suddenly tingly foot with a shudder. Levi supposed it would have been too good to be true for him to make out with a spider hybrid once and have it cure him of being creeped out.

Eren gave an affronted chirp from beneath the blankets, the whole pile stirring in his protest. He sounded offended. Levi took it to mean that yes, Eren knew what gardens were.

Well that was a good start.

“Can I have one?” Levi pushed on hopefully. “Is that allowed, mister monster?”

Eren’s head appeared from beneath the bedding, eyes still a bit groggy but unblinking. Traces of the usual calculating stare were returning. Back to his old, unsettling games it would seem. Levi held his ground and waited for the inevitable response, for Eren clearly had some argument to make against the idea.

The arachnid yawned widely, returning a flat stare in Levi’s direction. “And what would you put in it, little fly?”

Levi wasn’t sure if that last comment was supposed to be an insult or an endearment but he made a face regardless of the meaning.

“Food.” Levi answered. “What else?”

Eren raised an eyebrow at him. “Where will you get the seeds?”

“I don’t suppose you’d march into town and get some for me?” Levi retorted.

Eren’s unamused look was expected. “Very funny.”

“It was worth a shot.” Levi huffed. “Fine, can I at least go look around this wretched forest for something edible to bring back?”

Eren bristled at the thought, a noise of displeasure thrumming in his throat.

“Come on, please?” Levi tried pleading. “I need something to do. How else am I going to make a home here?”

Any mention of homes or nest-making and Eren was hard-pressed to deny him. It didn’t feel wise to be pulling out such a trump card so often but Levi didn’t exactly have many choices.

“I will bring you some things. The forest is not safe for those without the proper means to defend themselves. Alright?” Eren tried, fretting when all Levi did was frown. “You can have your garden, little one. But close to the cave. Here, it is safe to a point.” The brunet looked worried by Levi’s displeased little scoff. “I can bring you food to eat now as well, if you’re hungry?”

It wasn’t what Levi had been hoping for, but something was better than nothing. Even this small freedom was a test on Eren’s behalf, just letting Levi leave his lair must have been tough on him.

So Levi relented.

“Okay.” He allowed.

Eren gave a relieved smile.

 

 

With Eren gone to gather food, Levi was once again left to his own devices.

He found himself lost in thoughts about his condition, frustrated by just how much he didn’t know.

Just what exactly did being an Omega entail? Levi had experienced the unpleasantness of being thrown into that awful state, as needy as a bitch in heat. That, at least, would continue to happen throughout his life. But when? How long was it meant to remain for? Were sex or Eren’s venom the only ways to make it stop? And would there even be any warning when it was going to happen the next time?

Given the suddenness of how it had all started the first time, Levi doubted that he would get much warning if any.

For each tiny sliver of information he had, there were a hundred more questions to be answered. It was beyond frustrating.

Levi wished he had someone to ask about all this. If only Omegas weren’t so feared, then maybe people would know more about them. Even so, surely someone out there had at least a few answers about being an Omega and what that entailed? There were stories, of course. Slivers of information, but…there had to be more than just bits and pieces. It all had to come from somewhere.

Somewhere fucking far away, no doubt. Levi figured he would just have to find things out as he went.

How tedious.

Without much more to do on that topic other than complain, Levi let his mind wander elsewhere.

There was still a lot of organising to do in the storage area, more things to sort out. Eren still had a good amount of cave to de-web. Levi would, at some point, really appreciate being able to wash up even if it was in an icy stream. And that would require leaving the cave.

If Eren would allow that. Levi felt he’d have to put his foot down on this issue. It had been three days since he’d last gotten anywhere near enough water to clean up in, so that was a priority.

Grey eyes scowled at the walls, thus far an effective prison. It would never be a place he could consider home until there was a way out.

Feeling brave, or possibly exceedingly foolish, Levi decided to attempt to scale a patch of rock that Eren had cleared. At the base there were still great strings of web strung out. But if Levi started from the tops of the boulders and made his way across, he could reach the higher parts of the walls where the webbing had been removed more thoroughly.

It was worth a try.

 

 

Levi was feeling spectacularly stupid when Eren returned, finding the raven stuck upside down in the same net of lower webbing he’d attempted to avoid.

The arachnid didn’t so much as look in Levi’s direction as he arrived, though Levi could sense Eren’s exasperation even through the silence. And really, he understood. It didn’t look good on his part. Probably a pretty good picture of an escape attempt. But Levi had never been walled-in before…and it wasn’t doing him much good. He’d felt flighty enough to even try climbing the stupid wall and all that had done was land him in a sticky trap for a good half hour after he’d slipped and fallen.

Really then, it was a good thing that Eren hadn’t cleared out that spot of web, else Levi might have brained himself on the rocky floor.

“This probably looks pretty bad from where you’re standing.” Levi muttered at last, more than a little concerned by Eren’s prolonged silence.

The brunet was busy arranging a collection of three rabbits in a line on a relatively clean patch of rock. When he turned, Eren crept right over to Levi and stared down at him. Eren sighed, and it sounded exactly as vexed as Levi had been imagining ever since he’d managed to get stuck. Again.

“You really couldn’t just wait for me to return?” Eren asked, the words thrumming with annoyance.

Maybe a little concern, too.

“I was curious.” Levi admitted, and it was strange to be shrugging while hanging upside down.

He felt more than a little sheepish dangling there, having so obviously failed.

Eren regarded Levi as though he were an especially bothersome child, although Levi doubted any child would survive long around this arachnid. No doubt they would become a snack in record time.

“You’re a stubborn little thing.” Eren finally said, leaning down to frown at Levi. “It could be the death of you.”

That was probably true, so Levi didn’t bother trying to argue.

“I didn’t think I could make it,” the raven said, feeling dizzy from being stuck there so long, “but it was worth a try.”

Eren sneered. “Devious little thing.”

He looked mad, and really they didn’t know each other so well that Levi believed himself to be out of danger.

Levi looked Eren in the eye as best he could. “Are you going to kill me after going to the effort of bringing me food?”

They were probably past petty death threats. Levi hoped so, at least.

Eren gave a peevish sniff. “It’s been too long since I’ve bothered to hunt without webs. I don’t chase my food for nothing.”

“Care to get me down, then?”

It took a little while to remove the thick strands from Levi’s person and he had to sacrifice his sleepwear for the moment in order to be freed. But eventually the raven came tumbling from the web with an “oof” and landed in a dazed heap at Eren’s feet. Very dignified. Before he could so much as attempt to stand, Levi found himself being hauled up by an ankle.

Eren hoisted him up without effort, bringing him up high enough to glare mildly at face level. Levi swayed, feeling unpleasant.

“I’ve been upside down long enough, no more.” He pleaded through a fresh wave of dizziness.

Mercifully, Eren took pity on the raven and set him down on his own two feet. Levi was appreciative of the hands that remained at his shoulders, a precaution in case Levi should lose his balance or succumb to wooziness.

Levi swatted the helping hands away when he felt steady enough to walk, immediately going in search of new clothes before Eren could get any ideas.

Thankfully the arachnid seemed plenty focused on Levi’s failed venture outside.

He fussed around the raven all through the preparations of the gathered food, hovering far too close even after Levi had finished eating.

“Why were you trying to leave?” Eren asked, sounding odd.

Like a child trying to seem stern, while underneath a helpless vulnerability lies.

“I can’t be cooped up in here all the time.” Levi said honestly, pausing in his search. “The world doesn’t consist of this cave, Eren, and there are things out there that I need.”

Eren clicked his disapproval at that, but he seemed open enough to listen.

“Like what?” The brunet asked, waiting expectantly.

“Clean water?” Levi said immediately. “More than a puddle’s worth at least. Food? Somewhere to take a leak, goddamn. Take your pick.”

Eren looked honestly taken aback, like he hadn’t considered any of that. Or at least he’d tried very hard to provide as much as he could. The arachnid gave a little, troubled frown at the ground, seemingly at war within his own head, and Levi could only imagine what he was thinking.

Levi felt bad for putting the sudden frown on Eren’s face. But pretending to be happy while essentially caged would not take them anywhere good and that was the plain truth of the matter.

“Eren.” Levi began as gently as he could through his frustration. “I don’t want to go anywhere. Okay? Not in the way you’re worried about. All I want is to be able to leave the cave when I feel like it, get some sunshine, some fresh air. Explore a little. If this forest is going to be my home, I want to actually see it.”

Eren fretted. “It’s dangerous.”

Levi shot him a flat look, giving the brunet a deliberate once-over. “I got that impression when I met you, moron.”

The humour went unappreciated as Eren paced back and forth. Levi saw that same old frustration lurking in Eren’s eyes, but his worry was genuine. With every glance in Levi’s direction, the raven knew what Eren was seeing – a small, defenceless trouble magnet.

They were getting nowhere, and so Levi stomped right up to the fretting arachnid and waved a hand in front of his face.

“Oi.” He said, effectively stopping Eren in his tracks. “You’re a great big scary monster, for crying out loud. Start acting like one. I’ve seen puppies with more bite than you.”

Eren bared his teeth in distaste at the comment, but even Levi’s barbs couldn’t distract him. The brunet cast a worried glance at the cave entrance, looking back to Levi.

“I don’t want you to be hurt.” Eren said, sounding rather helpless for a monster. “It’s not _safe_. You seem to think you’re indestructible but you’re not, Levi. The forest wasn’t made for creatures like you to go wandering about.”

“You think I didn’t know that when I chose to come stumbling in here? I don’t exactly have options.” Levi rolled his eyes. “Safety is overrated, anyways. If I’d bothered thinking about how safe I’d be running off into the woods, do you think I’d have ever met you? Hm? Did you think about that, Mr. Worrywart? Who would have taught you about kissing then?”

Even the mention of kissing was a better distraction than any insult and Levi watched in growing amusement as Eren struggled with the onslaught of different urges. He was caught in a flurry of concern over Levi’s behalf, reluctance to compromise, and now the new torment of resisting the temptation of a second round of kissing. Levi honestly believed that the arachnid had never had to think so hard before in his life.

Eren looked so confused by the end that Levi took pity on him. Or perhaps he pressed his advantage.

“Eren. Please. Listen, by all means _come with me_. I don’t care if you follow me all over the damned forest, just don’t make me sit here all day or I’ll go insane. I need to _do_ something. We can start small-”

“The garden?” Eren ventured, voice small.

For a horrifying beast, he was turning out to be somewhat of a pushover. Eren meant well, though. As odd as it seemed for a monster to mean well.

“The garden,” Levi agreed with a nod, “which you can help me with, if you’d like?”

Eren gave an uncertain thrum. “Maybe.”

“Good.” Levi nodded, pleased that they’d gotten anywhere. “Well that’s a start. How about for a first step you take me somewhere that I can wash up?”

The brunet frowned immediately, opening his mouth to argue no doubt.

“Eren.” Levi cut him off, raising an eyebrow. “Work with me on this.”

Eren snarled, stomping off in tantrum, but he didn’t go far. With a longsuffering sigh, Eren crept his way back, arms folded unhappily over his chest.

“There’s a river nearby,” Eren relented with a grumble, “and several smaller streams.”

“That sounds perfect.” Levi said. “Lead the way.”

 

 

Even before they’d left, Eren had been pestering Levi throughout his search for clothes.

“But I don’t understand. If they’re just going to come off again anyway, then why bother?”

“Because I don’t want to give every living creature in this damned forest an eyeful, if that’s quite alright with you.” Levi retorted, hopping into the first vaguely clean pair of pants he could find and rolling up the ends so that he could walk. “Or is it normal to go prancing around with your ass hanging out in these parts?”

Eren paused as if to actually think about that.

Levi smacked his arm.

“But what’s going to stop something from seeing once you’re in the river?” The brunet asked, rubbing the smarting skin where Levi had swatted him.

The raven groaned. “It’s just a force of habit. Socially conditioned shame. Get off my back about it and let me pretend that this will make half a difference.” Levi had said, practically swimming through the shirt he deemed acceptable. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Eren had the decency not to laugh at him, though he did coo and that was possibly worse.

The trip out of the cave was…interesting. For one, Levi learned that it was terrifying being awake for the whole ‘being carried over high places’ part.

“Do you want to hold on or shall I carry you?” Eren asked, gazing up at the wall they needed to scale.

Levi only had to take one look at how high up the entrance was before he allowed Eren to scoop him up. No way was he going to risk plummeting to his death.

Eren had Levi held securely in his arms, since the raven hadn’t seemed comfortably with riding strapped to the arachnid’s back. But being carried didn’t make the drop look any smaller. Eren’s legs did all the climbing work, which was even weirder to look at from the perspective of the climber, and Levi found himself clinging to the brunet with neither shame nor fear.

He was far too young to die.

It was a bit of a squeeze through the tunnel, but at last the pair emerged into the clustering plants that hid the lair’s entrance.

Levi squirmed immediately to be put down, but Eren only slung him around the back. It was a bit tricky getting comfortable, but Levi managed to dangle his legs either side of where Eren’s torso met the rest of his spidery anatomy. It was like riding a particularly demented horse. Without being able to see a goddamned thing due to the tall brat blocking the view.

But Levi could still look around, and he did.

Eren scuttled along quite quickly, clearly uncomfortable being out in the open like they were. While they bustled along, Levi took in the area. Mountainside all around. They were up a big slope, the ground lumpy and rocky but with moss and dirt around. The trees followed them up too, regardless of the climb. It was a thinner density here, though, compared to the more packed stretch of forest that Levi had first stumbled into.

He could easily see the sun here, filtering its light through clusters of pine needles.

Eren headed down the mountain to where a stream curled its way onwards through the trees near the base. Levi heard the rushing water before he saw it, nearly shaking with eagerness.

Levi all but leapt off of Eren once they reached reasonably flat ground, trotting on over to inspect the water. It was clear and would undoubtedly be freezing, but the stream didn’t look too deep.

Knowing that he would most probably not drown, Levi set to stripping off. He nearly tripped right over trying to escape the too-big pants, only realising how close Eren was when the arachnid picked him up by the ankle. Levi gave an aborted shout, swinging in the air yet again thanks to Eren’s ridiculous and probably unnatural strength, but he realised the brunet was only trying to help. Eren peeled the rest of the fabric away, having a much easier time of it than Levi had. The raven was set down on the grass quite gently and he cleared his throat, glancing up somewhat awkwardly.

“Thanks.” He offered.

Eren merely shrugged at him.

The arachnid didn’t seem to have a concept of bodily shame, nor did his eyes linger on Levi’s suddenly bare form. Instead Eren paced about, eyeing the surrounds with great suspicion and only casting fleeting glances back to check that Levi hadn’t drowned himself by accident.

Maybe Eren was just too distracted playing sentry to ogle?

Well good. That would be one less distraction to worry about.

Stepping into the water, Levi’s suspicions were confirmed. It was like ice, but Levi had never been so happy to not be able to feel his toes. He scrubbed as best he could with his hands, wishing he’d thought to steal a bar of soap of a washrag from home before he’d run off. But alas, he couldn’t have everything. Just being out of the damned cave was a miracle in and of itself. It was probably pushing a huge boundary on Eren’s part, but they needed to compromise.

Levi groaned halfway through when he realised he had nothing to dry off with, and only questionably clean garments to put back on.

Life in the forest was harder than it sounded.

Still Levi finished up and turned his attention to where Eren was wandering over the stream via fallen logs.

“Oi, Eren?” Levi called, waiting for those eyes to shift his way. “Is this safe to drink?”

The stream looked fine and there was no smell to tell Levi otherwise, but he would feel safer with approval from the locals. Eren nodded, continuing his rounds.

Levi lifted a few scooped handfuls of water to his mouth from upstream, rinsing his mouth out for good measure. The next few handfuls were to quench his thirst, and then he was clambering up the banks, shivering but happier than he’d been in days.

He stood shaking water off of himself, offering shaky thanks to Eren when the arachnid came to crowd him.

“Are you finished? Can we go?”

“Where’s the fire?” Levi scoffed, but he conceded. “I’m done. Thank you. I feel much better.”

Eren paused at that, looking a little thrown. “Good. That’s good.”

“Can we do this every day?” Levi asked, wriggling back into his clothes now that he was as dry as he was going to get.

“I…” Eren sighed, looking very put upon, “I suppose we could. If you wish it, then I do not mind.”

“In that case I wish the hell out of it.” Levi said solemnly.

“You’re a strange little thing.” Eren accused, but he seemed more puzzled than annoyed.

Levi poked him in the hip, though he had to stretch up to manage it. “You should have thought about that before you got yourself a human for a pet. We’re awful needy. Pretty mean, too.”

“I’ve noticed.” Eren agreed, ruffling Levi’s hair and upsetting his balance.

“Really though,” Levi smiled a little, privately amused, “out of all the humans to get landed with, I’m probably going to be the most annoying in the long run.”

“Oh you’re a troublesome little one, to be sure.” Eren agreed, offering a hand to help Levi scale up to sit behind him again. “I’ll have to watch my back.”

“Or your front.” Levi smirked, poking Eren’s shoulder on the way up. “Really, there’s no knowing where I’ll strike next.”

“Anywhere but the face.” Eren pleaded.

“Oh?” Levi said, standing on the joint of a leg to talk by Eren’s ear. “But what if it’s a surprise smooch attack?”

Eren turned to stare at him, looking betrayed.

“Face it.” Levi snickered. “You’re doomed.” He chuckled at Eren’s worried warbling, assuming the same seated position from the trip down the mountainside. “Come on then. Charge! Onwards! Giddy up, beastie. Let’s go, let’s go.”

The arachnid did not appear amused with the horse comparison.

“I never thought I’d hear you sound so eager to ride me, Levi.” Eren said over his shoulder, all confidence all of a sudden. “How very forward of you.”

Levi gaped at him, flushing so hard he feared his face might honestly burst into flames.

“Forward of _me_? You cheeky little fucker! Who taught you that?” The raven hissed, slapping at Eren’s back in reprimand. “It sure as hell wasn’t me!”

Eren snickered almost all the way back to the lair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can they even do for bonding time? I don't want things to move unrealistically fast but I mean. What do you guys think? What should they do? Help meh!


	11. Chapter 11

 

Not every night was spent tentatively spooning an arachnid host. Eren didn’t seem to need as much rest as Levi did and because of this he wandered away that night to traverse the forest and weave new traps.

Food wasn’t going to catch itself and Eren had no more villagers to tide himself over with. He’d gone through the lot, not wanting the meat to spoil. Also not wanting the food to get any ideas and try talking with Levi. They may have done the raven wrong, but Eren wasn’t sure if Levi would be immune to cries for help. There was no telling what frightened prisoners would have done to Levi if he’d managed to free them while Eren was away from the cave.

So Eren placed his traps, each one linked to the next. He would know quickly if anything was caught with the wide network of webbing he’d arranged throughout the forest.

More than that, Eren put defensive webbing in place, closer to the borders of the woods than he’d ever gone. These were not for trapping food, but for trapping threats. The difference was that food would know better than to get close to these webs, or the places that Eren chose to put them. Anywhere that could provide easy access to the deep woods. It was tricky to get there, as the land dropped off in a series of jagged cliffs. But there were gaps and boulders and bridging land that could get you across the resulting ravines and into the forest where it continued below. That was where things got dangerous, for man and beast alike. The further into the woods one went, the more ghastly the creatures became. Eren could vouch for that personally, and not only because he was one of those creatures. But lately even the threat of monsters wasn’t keeping all of the humans out.

The forest seemed quiet to Levi, but Eren’s ears picked up a unique kind of racket – the human kind. It would be dangerous in the woods for a while yet, Eren guessed. The human clan, Levi’s people, were not eager to give up their lost prize. Eren could guess at their purpose. Though Levi had seemed adamant that his own kin would want to destroy him.

Eren wouldn’t let that happen. The very thought made him anxious to return to the lair.

He remained out for most of the night, though, to ensure that he had every last path and sneaky crossing suitably web-covered and connected. No human would be getting through that without becoming stuck. Eren was sure of it.

On the nigh-impossible chance that someone slipped by, they wouldn’t be able to do so without at least alerting Eren to their presence.

He returned to the cave only an hour or so before sunrise, picking his way through the muted pre-dawn light with ease.

Once inside, Eren couldn’t help but check on Levi.

The raven was right where Eren had left him, bundled up in his blankets. Levi was well hidden beneath the bedding; Eren had to coax some of the blankets back a little just to see him. He found the raven shivering a little. Still asleep, thankfully. A hand to Levi’s forehead confirmed that the Omega was cooler than he probably should be, but nothing Eren felt he should be alarmed about. At most, he would need to find the raven more blankets. Somehow.

Eren sighed. There was a lot that his new companion seemed to need. It was making Eren’s task of appearing as a suitable mate quite difficult. Levi was not easy to impress.

The brunet wandered about his cave for a while, troubled. A lot of things had needed to change already just for Eren to keep Levi even remotely satisfied and there would no doubt be a lot more change to come. It was a tough concept to swallow.

But Eren was determined. He could handle a little change. Even a lot of change.

Just so long as he could convince the bristly little Omega out there to be his mate.

With a new purpose in mind, Eren headed back for the cave entrance. Levi’s main concern thus far had been his lack of freedom, which had also been Eren’s biggest fear. If Levi was free to leave…he may do just that. If left to wander the forest, there was no knowing what kinds of creatures that Levi could run into. It was so dangerous out there. So risky. Eren felt a frown growing on his face just thinking about it. But Levi was not going to be convinced to stay if he was treated like a prisoner. And really, what bigger change could Eren possibly make but to give Levi the freedom he asked for? It was worth a try. And Eren had an inspired idea of how to give Levi exactly what he wanted.

 

 

Levi was cold when he woke, frowning immediately as he curled into a tighter ball.

The raven scrunched his eyes shut, stretching out briefly to search for Eren’s warmth. When it was nowhere to be found, he sank back into his little ball and sighed. Levi’s limbs felt stiff from being in the same, tense position all night and he guessed that he’d been cold for a while. Opening his eyes, he discovered why.

The nest was absent of any sign of Eren, though Levi didn’t have to look around much to find the arachnid.

High above the floor, Eren was busy building new webs in a path from the cave entrance, down the wall, to just above the floor. Levi didn’t think much of it. He dragged himself out of the bedding with a wince, feeling the crisp morning air bite into his skin. Levi stood below where Eren was working in record time.

His movement was more than enough to alert Eren to Levi’s presence and the brunet blinked down at the raven.

“Levi?” Eren asked, curious of Levi’s sudden approach.

“Hurry up and get down here.” The raven grumbled, rubbing at his arms and legs in an effort to warm up.

In a rush of scuttling footsteps, Eren stood before Levi on the stone floor. Levi was cold enough and sleepy enough that he wasn’t even put off by the unsettling fast approach. Eren stooped to inspect him, fingers sliding under Levi’s chin to tilt his head up. Even his hands were warm.

The arachnid looked concerned, or maybe he thought he was in trouble, but Levi cut Eren off before he could speak.

“Where are you the warmest?” Levi demanded, shivering. “I’m fucking freezing.”

Eren just blinked, baffled at the query, and glanced down his own body like he’d never thought about that before. Then again, he probably hadn’t. Levi didn’t want to waste time letting him find out, either. He stomped closer, already reaching to snag a hold of one of Eren’s hands for leverage, planting a foot against one of Eren’s forelegs to help him climb up.

A startled chirp echoed in the cave, but Eren scooped Levi up properly even through his confusion. Unsure, but indulgent nonetheless. Scowling, Levi wrapped himself around the human parts of Eren – arms tight around tanned shoulders, legs hooked about his torso. His skin was less weird to hug than anything fuzzy. If it was too soon for whatever bond they were trying to forge, Levi didn’t care. Eren was _warm_. Personal space could go right to hell in that moment. Levi tucked his face against Eren’s throat; even Eren’s anxious warbling wasn’t enough to unnerve the raven that morning.

“Okay.” Levi mumbled, head still fuzzy from waking. “If the nights are going to be that cold, I think I can deal with sleeping next to a spider.”

The confession felt odd on his lips, but Levi didn’t want to wake up that cold ever again. If he had to get over his wariness of Eren, then so be it. The sooner that happened, the better things would be for both parties involved.

And besides, having Eren holding him felt almost _too_ nice. Levi blamed his Omegan needs. Company, comfort, and the like.

Something nudged Levi’s head and he realised Eren was nosing into his hair, probably looking for some telling scent to guess at Levi’s mood. It was a pretty drastic change in attitude.

“Are you…alright?” Eren finally asked, his hold uncertain.

“Just cold.” Levi murmured, shifting about to grip on better. “It gets pretty chilly out here at night. Where’d you go, anyway?”

“I was patrolling.” Eren answered, clearly confused with Levi’s behaviour but not unhappy to be on the receiving end of the odd embrace. “Every so often I need to maintain my webs, make sure traps are in place, that sort of thing. Otherwise food is hard to come by and critters of an unsavoury nature tend to roam a little too close to my home. Our home.” Eren corrected at the end, sounding suddenly hopeful.

When Levi didn’t argue with the statement, Eren gave a happy little thrum.

“You don’t usually cling like this.” The brunet stated. “I’m not about to complain, but it is…odd.” He swallowed. “You’re not going to do anything unpleasant, are you?”

“What? Like buttering you up, earning your trust, only to take advantage of a certain weakness and close proximity?” Levi scoffed.

Eren suspecting foul play wasn’t that surprising.

The brunet swallowed again, louder this time. “N-Nice Omega.”

Levi actually chuckled a little at that. “Relax. I’m just stealing some bodyheat. Your fault for walking off in the middle of the night and leaving me to freeze.”

“S-Sorry.”

“Is it going to happen again?”

“I can’t promise that it won’t, but if I’m planning to leave the cave I can tell you first?”

Levi nodded. “Alright then. Good spider. Now what’s all this about?” The raven asked, squinting at the web that crept up the wall to the cave entrance.

It was a criss-crossed pattern of web around the entrance to the cave, strands running at angles between several thicker cords of the stuff.

Eren gulped, the sound audible since Levi was that close.

“Dry web. It’s for you.” The brunet managed, sounding equal parts anxious and hopeful. “I thought…you could learn to climb them? Then you wouldn’t feel so trapped in here.” Eren nuzzled in close, almost an unconscious thing. “I don’t want to make you feel like a prisoner, Levi. The forest is dangerous, but if it’s going to be your home then I don’t want keep you from exploring. Just promise you’ll be carefu-”

Eren was cut off by the sudden press of lips against his mouth and he went utterly still, a confused whine sticking in his throat. That didn’t stop Levi from kissing him, though.

Levi leaned back after a moment, a wry look on his face. “Consider that a thank you.”

A sign of appreciation, Eren realised, and he all but melted. He crooned after Levi, chasing his retreating lips, surprised when he wasn’t immediately pushed away. The raven had more patience with him this morning, still a little sleepy and glad for Eren’s warmth. He still coaxed Eren back long before the arachnid could start getting kiss-drunk like before, but it was progress that had Eren swooning regardless.

“Idiot.” Levi said, though Eren felt like the word was starting to become more of an endearment than an insult. “Let me down. I want to give this thing a test.”

 

 

Climbing Eren’s new webbing was surprisingly easy. The strands were dry, just as Eren had said, and they were spaced just close enough together that Levi always had a foothold nearby. He stunned himself by making it to the top of the wall, then into the tunnel that led out of the cave.

From the entrance, he called down to Eren.

“I…I did it.”

Eren had waited below, ready to catch the raven should Levi fall. He looked suitably impressed with just how well Levi had managed to scale the webs, eyes bright with approval.

“Are you coming back down now?” Eren asked.

Levi met those big, hopeful eyes and chuckled.

“Why don’t you come up to me?” He asked back, waving Eren up.

Levi held onto a nearby strand to lean a little ways out over the ledge, watching Eren make his way quickly up the wall. The brunet slowed as he reached the top, where Levi was blocking the rest of the way. Face to face, the pair stared at each other.

“This was a good idea.” Levi said finally, a tiny smile curving his lips. “You did good.”

The raven leaned further, closing the gap between them, though this kiss was but a brief dab before Levi leaned back again. With a smirk, he inclined his head towards the entrance.

“Come on.”

Levi scrambled for the outside and Eren followed, sluggish and smiling.

Things had gone far better than Eren had planned. Just looking at Levi proved how good of a decision the new webs had been – the raven’s eyes had never seemed so bright before. Levi looked like he might start grinning at any moment. Freedom did wonders for the Omega. He looked to Eren when the brunet emerged, and Levi approached the arachnid, crooking a finger at Eren.

The action made Eren feel strange, a little hot inside as he watched Levi saunter towards him. Not an ounce of fear could be seen, and Eren looked hard.

“Let’s go, beastie.” Levi said as he came to a stop before the arachnid, extending a hand towards Eren.

Confused, Eren took the offered hand in his own. Cool fingers grasped his and Eren was surprised when Levi used the hold to start climbing up to him again. This time Eren took the cue and helped quicker, turning his head as Levi swung around to Eren’s back. He took a seat on the spider’s abdomen.

“Where are we going?” Eren asked, glancing back at the lounging Omega.

Levi waved as if to urge him forward. “It’s a big forest and you’re going to give me the grand tour.”

The words came out as a statement, all but a demand. Eren blinked, stunned.

“A tour?” Eren asked. “Of the whole forest?”

“Not the whole forest, obviously.” Levi rolled his eyes. “Just what parts of it are yours. Or are they ours now?”

“Ours?” Eren parroted, feeling thoroughly overwhelmed. “Are you…are you saying…you _want_ it to be ours?”

Levi let go of a long sigh, like he was coming to terms with a great many things.

“I’m saying that if I’m going to be sticking around, then I should probably know my way around.” The raven finally said, his tone so casual, like he wasn’t making a huge decision. Levi stood, hands braced on Eren’s shoulders for balance, and met Eren’s gaze where the brunet was half-twisted to look back at him. “Wouldn’t be very useful if I got lost every time I left the cave, now would it?”

Eren fretted, unsure of the response Levi was looking for.

“No?” He tried.

A little smirk pulled at Levi’s lips, the movement drawing Eren’s attention there. He was still staring when Levi spoke.

“Good boy.”

Eren wasn’t sure if it was the words or Levi’s tone, but he oh so wanted to kiss that mouth. Distracting thoughts kept him from doing so, though. Reminders of what Levi was actually talking about. What they had been discussing.

“So you’re staying?” Eren managed, finding the right train of thought to follow.

Levi leaned against his shoulder. “Yup.”

“You’re staying with me?”

“Looks like it.”

It all sounded so casual coming from the raven. Levi must have been thinking about this a lot more than Eren had, weighing the benefits. And he was staying. Eren’s couldn’t believe his luck. He bit back the happy trill that threatened to break loose, one last question begging to be asked.

“So you…you want to be mine?” Eren made sure to meet Levi’s eyes as he asked. Whatever the answer was, he would only know the truth of it from those eyes.

The raven didn’t respond right away, seeming to think about it. Eren couldn’t read any outright disgust or concern in those grey orbs that watched him right back, but there was some kind of hesitation.

Levi made a face and gave a small sigh. “I’m still working on that part, the whole courting nonsense bit.”

A discouraged chirp escaped Eren before he could think to catch it.

There was a hand in his hair then, ruffling gently.

“Don’t be like that, I’m not saying no.” Levi sighed again, troubled. “It’s just a lot. I get what you want, I understand and I don’t…I guess I don’t hate the idea. You’re…not impossible to live with. You’re very sweet, if insufferable at times. It’s just…a lot to come to terms with. And I haven’t even thought about what comes after the kissing, good grief. That…that will be a shocker, I’m sure. But if the sticky business happens during my heat, I’ll probably be too out of it to really care what kind of messed up junk you have.”

Eren cocked his head with a baffled chirp, thoroughly thrown by Levi’s rant.

“You’re worried because you don’t know what’s going to happen?” Eren ventured, uncertain himself.

“Sure.” Levi shrugged. “Though knowing might just make it worse.” He gave a strained chuckle. “We’ll take that part slow, yeah?”

Eren nodded. “If that’s what you need.”

“I think that would be for the best. It’ll be fine.” Levi said with a sigh. “It might not be now, or right away, but it will be eventually. We’ll figure things out.”

Whatever mess of thoughts Levi was caught up in, Eren got the feeling that he’d meant to make it all sound good. In some way. Things would work out. Levi was staying and that meant that he’d at least considered taking Eren as a mate. And that was all Eren needed to know.

 

 

The forest seemed brighter than usual, a strangely vibrant place that day, and Eren scowled openly as he wandered along. Just as he thought he could show Levi what a troublesome place the woods could be, everything turned pleasant. The woods were taunting him, he was sure of it.

Either that, or it was happy to see Levi.

Eren hoped that was the case.

Levi took everything in with a surprising eagerness, looking around like a youngster barely let out of the nest. He listened to Eren’s every word, a strange thing for the raven usually had a fair amount of snark to counter with. But he seemed to know that this was the time for listening. This was Eren’s turf. He knew this land, what it had to offer and what it could throw someone’s way without warning. Eren stooped low to show Levi certain tracks and markings, signs of other creatures that passed through this way. Most were food, just simple herbivores. A few were spider tracks…not Eren’s own. He reached back with an arm to make sure Levi stayed close.

“It’s beautiful in here.” Levi observed, oblivious to Eren’s worry. “I thought there would be more, oh I don’t know, monsters? Nightmarish beasts? All I got was you.” The raven snorted, ruffling Eren’s hair. “You didn’t turn out to be so bad.”

“Luckily for _you_.” Eren muttered.

“Probably wouldn’t have gone so well if you weren’t trying to get into my pants, huh?”

Eren managed not to stumble, but he did bleat his mortification.

He cast a glare over his shoulder, but it did not have the desired cowing effect. Levi only looked smugger. Eren bared his teeth, a moody chitter echoing through the clearing. The sound aborted into flustered silence when Levi leaned in close to place possibly the gentlest kiss yet to Eren’s nose, aware of how tender the spot could be.

“Quit pouting.” Levi smirked, pressing a last kiss to Eren’s forehead.

The arachnid faced forwards again, a little dazed from the attention, and took a few shaky steps to get moving again.

He was very aware of Levi’s grip for the rest of the trip through the forest.

They made a wide arc through the woods, returning back only after Eren started to spot his defensive webbing near the edges of his part of the forest. The closer to the edge they got, the more likely it would be that other creatures made themselves known. Eren had no desire to run into anyone today. Or any day when Levi was with him. The little raven wouldn’t be safe if Eren had to fend off a challenger with the Omega right there.

Eren felt a lot better once the cave was back in view.

“See?” Levi started when Eren stopped by the entrance, jumping down to the ground. “That wasn’t so terrible, was it?”

Eren grumbled, but he still kept a careful eye on the raven as Levi climbed down the webs that led into the cave. He was already comfortable finding footholds, reaching the floor in no time.

Groundside again, Levi looked up to find Eren still lingering in the entrance.

“Are you coming down anytime today?”

“I think I’ll do some last rounds of scouting for the day.” Eren confessed. “If I check on things now, I can stay with you tonight.”

“Ah.” Levi realised. “In that case, search away. But you had better be back here before nightfall.”

Eren got this smug little look on his face. “Don’t miss me too much.” He called down.

“Twerp. Get going, before I come up there to get you.”

The arachnid seemed to take that to heart, scuttling off with a startled “eep” and leaving Levi to chuckle to himself.

 

 

Eren was glad he’d chosen to head out for the afternoon.

The trees were whispering amongst themselves, excited or nervous. Eren wasn’t sure. But they did know something.

A moment later, Eren knew what they were chattering about. The first vibrations that reached Eren were a surprise – something had triggered one of his traps. The vibrations were somewhat faint, so it had to be one of the webs close to the borders of his land. Eren thought nothing of it, heading along to check what he’d caught without much concern…until a second vibration rattled through his network. Close to the first, but a different web. Then a third.

Eren paused, his eyes going wide.

Not many animals were stupid enough to wander close to his webs. Not the more openly laid ones. This was something considerably bolder.

Arriving at the site of the first trap, Eren’s suspicions were confirmed.

His lip curled, distaste a tangible thing on his tongue as he scented the air.

Humans.

 

 

Levi blinked open his eyes to find the cave darker than before and, with a start, he realised he’d fallen asleep.

There was noise in the cave, the sound of silk being manipulated. Just Eren, then. Well that was a relief of sorts – the brunet was back.

Getting to his feet, Levi stretched and looked about for where Eren might be. He didn’t need to look for long. Eren appeared from the little tunnel where he’d strung up Levi’s ex-townspeople the first time they’d met. The pantry, as Levi called it. It had been emptied, all of the prisoners had gone, and while Levi had noticed the change he hadn’t elected to mention it.

So Levi was surprised to see new web-covered parcels hanging in the tunnel when Eren crept out.

“New food?” The raven questioned.

Eren looked up, startled, and winced when he saw Levi. That was never a good sign. The arachnid looked like he had some bad news, maybe a lot of it, and Levi felt foolish for thinking even briefly that they’d been getting to the easy part. Clearly, something had come up.

Levi sighed. “Alright. What’s going on. You’ve got the guilty face.”

Eren glanced over his shoulder at the pantry and then it was his turn to sigh. He wrung his hands, but it wasn’t quite nervousness. More like reluctance. He didn’t want to shatter the fragile peace that they’d built, but it seemed inevitable now.

Levi braced himself for the worst.

“I found something on my patrol.” Eren admitted. “And it’s something you should know about, though I’m not quite sure how to say it. It’s better if you see for yourself.”

The brunet gestured behind him with a hand, staring glumly at the floor.

Levi arched an eyebrow. “Okay…”

He looked at the hanging bundles again, squinting. Then Levi realised it.

The parcels were human shaped. Eren had definitely eaten the ones from before, which meant…these were new. But no humans should have been in the forest. Certainly not this many. Unless they had a reason to be.

Levi’s head snapped back to Eren for answers.

Reluctant or not, Eren wouldn’t lie about this and was forthcoming with what he knew.

“Their scent is similar to those that were chasing you.” Eren said, sounding solemn. “They’re from the same place. Levi…for this many to be coming this far into the forest, there is only one reason I can think of that would drive them here. They’re…” the arachnid hesitated, clearly not wanting to have to deliver bad news.

But Levi knew what he was trying to say regardless, and it chilled him to the core.

“They’re still after me.” Levi finished for him.

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi chats with some villagers, though not all of them are as hostile as he might have suspected.
> 
> But good luck convincing Eren of that.

 

“They’re still after me.”

The thought horrified Levi more than Eren ever could. For whatever foul reasons, murder or study or worse, there were still members of Levi’s village who were still trying to find him. And they had made it much further into the woods than the others had.

That was a scary kind of determination.

“Why?” Levi murmured. “Are they crazy enough to die on the off chance they might catch me? Have they all gone mad?”

His worry must have been obvious, for Eren sidled up to him with concerned little chirps. Levi was glad for the proximity for once, leaning against one of Eren’s great legs with little concern for the odd, fuzzy texture. He just needed to be close. Just for a bit. Just to know that he was safe in the wake of this news. There were people coming for Levi, and if they were headed this way then there was a chance that they knew what had taken him. The survivors from that night. There must have been some to make it back, and they had all seen the webs.

As far as they knew, Levi was the prisoner of a monster. They probably didn’t even know if he was still alive, but were crazed enough to risk going into the woods anyway. Just in case.

Was capturing an Omega really so important to these people?

“No one’s going to hurt you, Levi.” Eren murmured by the raven’s ear, stooped low to check on him. “No human can get to you here; their very presence is an insult to the forest and all her children.”

“What about me?” Levi asked, feeling the beginnings of tremors starting.

Eren didn’t seem nearly as concerned. “You’re not human,” the brunet said, sounding utterly sure of himself, “you might look like one, but that’s about it. You don’t act like one, Levi you don’t even _smell_ like a human anymore. I know an outcast when I see one.” Eren said, glancing from Levi to the ceiling. “So does the forest. You’re one of hers now.”

“Eren…they’re just trees. How is that supposed to help anyone?”

The raven stalked a few steps away, hissing his fear, his frustration. He could head Eren pacing after him. Levi wasn’t uneasy enough to send the brunet away, though he huffed at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder.

“Just consider yourself lucky that these trees like you.” Eren said, casting a wary glance towards the entrance overhead. “Humans aren’t welcome here. You’d know if you weren’t welcome either; you would have never made it as far as you did.”

Levi’s memories of that first night were a mess, fuzzy at best. But he didn’t recall how easy it had been to get to the woods, how he hadn’t met with a single monster the whole time he’d been running. How the woods had seemed to open before his feet, possibly even leading him. How else would Levi have been able to stay ahead of all the villagers that had come after him? Had he really had help that night? It seemed far-fetched, but Levi had found many things hard to swallow in these woods. Monsters that spoke. That weren’t really all that monstrous. People, his own people, who acted more like bloodthirsty beasts than Eren ever had. Maybe Levi was meant to trip down that slope? If Eren was right about the woods, then maybe it hadn’t been a coincidence that had sent Levi tumbling into the web net that night. Maybe the forest sent him to Eren?

Levi never thought he’d be grateful to a bunch of trees.

“So the forest is sentient.” Levi muttered, giving a long sigh. “Great. Well now I feel awkward for bathing out in the open.”

Eren cocked his head, frowning. “It’s not like a creature. The forest doesn’t see, not like I think you’re worried about. It feels. It knows things. And it can react, but that is rare.”

“React like thorny vine up the ass, or more like rustling leaves?” Levi asked, mostly tongue in cheek.

Eren did not look impressed with his attempt at humour.

Levi scoffed, but he supposed he was relieved. At least he didn’t have to worry about trees leering at him all the live long day. But the threat of humans entering the woods wasn’t something easily brushed aside, especially not if their purpose was focused on him. There was a chance that they would eventually give up. Hopefully it would happen quickly. Even so…Levi’s gaze was drawn back to the pantry and he frowned, troubled by his people’s determination to come even this far. It was entirely unlike them.

“You shouldn’t have brought them back.” Levi murmured, taking a few steps away from the lingering arachnid to put a little distance between himself and the pantry, suddenly a daunting sight. “The more of them that disappear, the angrier they’ll get.”

“Angry humans are a predictable creature, foolish and arrogant.” Eren gave a haughty sniff, crossing his arms where he stood. “They throw themselves into danger. It was their choice to come into these woods, and I’m just one of the many consequences of that choice.”

There was no regret in Eren in that moment, no thought for the lives he was already responsible for ending. It was a reminder that Eren did not lie when he said humans weren’t welcome here. For the first time since earning his condition, Levi felt he might honestly be lucky in being an Omega. Without that, Eren would have surely seen him as nothing more than another human – just more food. Another threat to be taken care of. Levi would never have had the chance to talk to Eren, to learn how sweet the arachnid could be at times. Eren would have never gotten a chance to prove that he wasn’t just a monster.

And that…would have been somewhat of a tragedy. Because Eren was sweet at heart, and insufferable and easy to embarrass…and currently all Levi’s. It hadn’t seemed like a privilege until that moment.

Until Levi considered what it would be like if he were to lose the arachnid.

“You really think you can handle them all?” Levi asked, sceptical.

An almost lazy amusement crossed Eren’s features and he stretched idly. “I know I can, little Omega.” He purred, all confidence in that moment. “If you doubt that, come closer and I can prove it to you.”

Levi felt a heavy lick of warmth roll through his insides, fearful for a moment that it was his heat returning. But no, there was no pain, no cramps, or sudden aching.

This warmth could be blamed on Eren’s words alone, the purposeful heat that had laid in his tone and those low-lidded eyes. That had been entirely planned. Somehow, Levi wasn’t upset about it, or even his response. It was arousal, at least the very first tingling sign of it, and Levi had been so sure that he wouldn’t be able to feel anything like that with a creature so different to him.

But that just then…that had been want. Not an innocent feeling at all, even if the thought of following through on that want seemed entirely daunting right about then.

That it could happen at all in response to Eren was…promising.

“Some other time, beastie.” Levi deflected, eager to get far away from any and all of that sort of playfulness before he did something stupid. “Don’t think you can flirt your way out of this discussion.”

Surprisingly, Eren pouted. “If I knew you thought I was _flirting_ I might have done a better job of it.”

“Well you can stop any and all plans of doing so for the immediate future. This is serious, Eren.” Levi could feel the concern returning to his face, real worry twisting within him. “What if more people come?”

Eren shrugged. “That’s their decision to make.”

It seemed so dismissive, like Eren really wasn’t afraid. He was clearly wary of so many humans entering the woods in such a short time, for nothing like that had happened before. People were usually smarter than that. But, while Eren was cautious, he was not fearful.

“What are you going to do about it?” Levi asked, honestly curious.

“I wasn’t planning on doing much of anything.” Eren answered, like he hadn’t given it much thought at all. “My land is well-secured and it isn’t as if I could convince them to _stop_ walking into the forest. If more humans are coming, there’s not much to be done other than to wait.”

“And if they come _here_?” Levi stabbed a finger at the ground, scowling at Eren and daring him to make light of such a scenario. “If they march into your home and stab you in the eye? You’re not worried about that at all?”

Looking at Eren, Levi knew the answer was “no” before the brunet even spoke.

“What have I got to fear?” Eren asked, and Levi wasn’t sure if he should feel frustrated by the answer…or impressed. “Humans are only a threat when they’re in their element, and this is _my_ arena. The moment they step past the tree line, they are food. Free game. That’s not my ruling, it’s how things have always been here.”

“Oh so the forest makes the rules, does it?” Levi asked, doubtful.

“In a way, I suppose.” Eren said. “It’s unspoken, something that all of us know without needing to be told.”

Instinct, Levi’s mind supplied. It was something he himself knew suddenly, that the people he had spent all the years of his life living with were no longer his friends. No longer allies to be called upon for help.

If Levi needed help, he had a monster and a whole forest to call on. Somehow…Levi knew that Eren wasn’t the only one in these woods that was keeping an eye on him. Maybe it was the trees. Maybe it was whatever ethereal force that handed them this intangible knowledge, or perhaps something else entirely. Without know why or how, Levi knew that he was protected.

Mother Nature must have one big soft spot for Omegas.

Levi had never thought so. He’d always heard about the horror stories, the prisoners, the deaths. But those had been from the poor souls who got themselves caught, helpless to the demands of new and insatiable instincts.

No one ever heard about the Omegas that got away. Levi had always believed that was because none of them ever did manage to escape.

But what if they had? What if they made it far enough from their home towns, their villages, their homes, and found themselves guided in the same way Levi had been guided? Pulled home to the trees and greenery. Welcomed with open arms by a force that could not be seen or heard or felt, just sensed if you let yourself listen closely enough. Levi had always planned on running, from the moment he’d realised what he had become. But he had never imagined when he’d bolted for the woods that this was exactly where he had needed to run.

_Welcome home, Levi._

The words rattled inside his head, like no voice Levi had ever heard before. Gone again just as soon as they’d come. Levi jerked terribly, feeling something akin to a phantom touch only everywhere. Even in his head, though he had not strictly _heard_ anything. At least not in the usual sense.

“Levi?” Eren’s voice was much less startling to hear after that last scare.

The raven stalked over to the waiting arachnid, ducking underneath massive legs with little care for how such an action would have filled him with dread only days ago. Now he sought Eren out for comfort, if an indirect form of it. That strange non-voice…Levi had a feeling it wasn’t about to go away. Maybe the forest was trying to get in tune with him, but it felt so…foreign. The raven was in no mood for leafy shenanigans right about then and he took cover beneath the spider’s abdomen, scowling furiously.

Eren leaned over, his head coming into view. Even upside-down, Levi could see how concerned he looked, the brunet’s worried expression tinged with confusion.

“What are you doing?” Eren asked.

He sounded anxious and Levi knew he was probably freaking the arachnid out with his sudden new behaviour, but Levi couldn’t help it. Things were getting crazy. First his town sending more people after him, and now this? Whatever this was? Voices of the woods?

Levi glowered from behind one great leg. “You can tell your trees to cut out the whispering nonsense.”

All of Eren’s eyes went wide and he chirped, startled. “What did…they say?”

Levi’s scowl deepened. “Just tell them to stay out of my head.” When Eren only tilted his head at the raven in return, Levi huffed. “What?”

“It’s just…” Eren scrunched up his nose, looking thoroughly thrown, “they don’t usually speak. Not with words.”

Levi felt his mouth open in surprise, irritation quickly following. “So I’m even more of a freak than I already thought?” Eren winced and Levi scowled. “Great. Just fantastic.”

Eren watched the Omega fret and cuss, clearly upset with this latest revelation. He was getting more in touch with the woods, though Levi didn’t seem to think that was a good thing. The raven seemed more disturbed by the connection than anything else. Like it was some nuisance. Eren had to remind himself that Levi was not familiar with any of this, not trees that watched over the land, or monstrous beings, or living out of caves. Levi was doing remarkably well, all things considered. He was bound to be startled or find things jarring from time to time, Eren just needed to be patient. Let Levi figure himself out.

So he let the raven stomp about, a little wary of having Levi in a place where he couldn’t see him easily. But Levi had come to him in a moment of unease. That much was promising.

Still, Eren frowned a little at the thought of direct communication between Levi and the woods. That shouldn’t be possible. Not without some kind of help, some trickery. Unless there was someone out there who really did know Levi, and was trying to speak to him over a distance. That might be possible, if the person had a strong enough bond with the land, with nature, for it to carry their words so far.

Levi watched Eren in an attempt to calm himself. The brunet seemed to be thinking pretty hard, eyes flicking about as he pondered over whatever train of thought had caught on in that head of his.

“It might not have been the trees themselves,” Eren mused aloud, apparently perfectly at ease with his head ducked down like that, “but they might have been passing words along for someone else.”

The words sunk in and they chilled Levi to the bone.

“Then…who else knows that I’m here.” He asked, sounding very small indeed.

Sure, Levi knew that his entire village was aware that he was in the woods. Clearly they didn’t believe that he was dead, but that could have been mad hope for all he could guess. None of his people should have been able to do something like this.

So then…there shouldn’t have been anyone else that knew his name. Right?

Levi looked to Eren for some kind of assurance, but it was a poor choice. Eren didn’t seem to have thought that his theory could mean something bad, for he looked tense suddenly as well at the insinuation of Levi’s uneasy tone.

“I’m…not sure.” Eren confessed, troubled.

The brunet straightened, frowning to himself. No one should have known about Levi, he’d been brought to Eren’s lair under the cover of night and hadn’t left more than a handful of times. Today had been the longest trip yet.

But maybe…that was exactly the answer.

“I think it would be best if you remained inside the cave for the next few days.” Eren murmured, only just loud enough for Levi to hear it from where he remained beneath him.

“Huh?” Levi sounded a little incredulous.

“Someone must have seen the two of us together today, or perhaps by the stream before…” Eren mused. “It is possible that they heard me say your name. Unlikely…I’m sure I would have noticed a spy.”

Unless it hadn’t been a spy. Perhaps an accidental sighting? Still, that did not necessarily bode well for them either.

Eren was proud that he didn’t startle when Levi’s hand touched one of his legs, the raven creeping back up to the front. Wary, but not of Eren. That much was good, at least. Levi finally poked his head out from under the arachnid and Eren glanced down at him.

“You think I’m in some kind of danger?” Levi asked.

He didn’t sound too worried, but Eren knew better. The signs of distress coming from Levi were small, but still present. Eren dropped a hand to Levi’s hair in the hopes that the contact would provide at least some comfort.

Eren’s nose crinkled in thought, the area mostly healed and only mildly uncomfortable at that point.

“I don’t think it’s anything that wants to hurt you.” Eren said. “But until we know for sure what this means, stay inside for me?”

Levi narrowed his eyes at the request, but it didn’t last. He sighed, resigned, and nodded. Being cooped up wasn’t so bad as possibly landing himself in unknown trouble. This place might be his home, but he didn’t know it. Not like Eren. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea to hide out for a while, particularly if there was going to be an abundance of humans trying to find him. Not that they were likely to make it this far in.

“How close did these ones make it?” Levi asked, keen to talk about something else.

Eren cast his gaze towards the pantry, frowning in thought.

“I found them on the outskirts.” The brunet said, eyes flickering at the memory – screaming and terror, as was the usual response. “One of the fools had landed himself in a trap just inside my lands; the other two looked to have been caught trying to help their comrade to escape.” Eren considered the hanging parcels, his gaze thoughtful. “Scouts, probably. It’s likely that there was more than one party out searching.”

Levi shuddered at the thought. “So when this group doesn’t return…”

“They’re likely to send more this way, yes.” Eren confirmed Levi’s worry. “Don’t fret. Any who follow will meet the same obstacles. It is not an easy journey into the deep woods on foot.”

“They’ll have to come on foot,” Levi nodded, “there aren’t enough horses at the village to risk bringing them in.”

His people might have been acting extremely, but they weren’t that stupid.

Eren gave a nod, apparently satisfied with that knowledge. “One less thing on my conscience, then.”

Levi turned an incredulous look on the brunet. “Oh, so horses you’ll cry over, but people? Just pest, huh?”

Eren only rolled his eyes.

 

 

Taking Levi’s concern into consideration, Eren ventured out to check on the borders of his part of the forest. He vowed to return quickly, after laying new traps and ensuring that the previous ones were still intact and undisturbed.

Levi tidied up his bedding and went back to sorting through Eren’s treasure piles. He needed to do something to pass the time. Most of the bounty he found was more traveller’s gear – knives, rope, small items for cooking, some water canteens, and another few blankets. Those items were all set aside in the main cave area, arranged in a pile near to the entrance so that Eren could take them outside to be cleaned when he returned. Levi would have done it himself, but Eren’s request was still clear in his mind.

_“…stay inside for me?”_

It wouldn’t be a hard request to meet, at least for a few days. Levi was sure he could entertain himself until they knew more about the mystery someone who knew his name…probably. He’d still have to go outside to bathe, unless Eren brought him water here.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of Levi and he wandered towards the pantry tunnel. He wasn’t sure what he wanted there, maybe just to sneak a closer glance? A quick peek to try and see if he could recognise any of those who were captured? However, as Levi drew closer he heard a sound. Quiet, not even noticeable to him from across the cave, but this close he could hear it – a rustling noise. Next, a muffled grunt.

Levi’s eyes widened a fraction, then narrowed.

Someone was awake.

If that was the case, Eren had probably not bothered subduing this one with venom. They might have already been passed out at the time, or else it was a very weak dose indeed.

The sounds of struggle started to increase, more alarm present in the noises of exertion. Panic was starting to set in. There wasn’t any helping it, then. With a deep breath to steel himself, Levi crept into the tunnel.

“You’ll just get yourself more tangled.” Levi said, calm and inflectionless.

Even his gentle words had seemed loud in the quiet and the struggling man gave an aborted shout, jerking in his binds. The parcel was swinging, not quite facing Levi’s direction but it would spin the right way given enough time. Levi knew better than to try and turn it himself. He’d been caught in Eren’s webs just enough to know that they were not something he could escape on his own; even a little strand could quickly prove troublesome. So Levi stood back and waited. The parcel spun slowly, and Levi saw the stranger’s features before they ever spotted Levi.

A man, one of the huntsmen that led groups of village men through the hills in search of game in the weeks before winter. Gustav Langnar, widower and father of three. His youngest must have been fifteen by now, or else soon to be. Not a stranger at all, then.

“This is a strange sight.” Levi said, waiting.

He watched Gustav’s eyes land on him at last. The orbs blew wide in recognition, but any words Gustav might have said were aborted by a sudden coughing fit.

“I’ve never seen a trap you couldn’t find your way around before,” Levi commented, taking in the web casing around Gustav with new appreciation, “or maybe you’ve just lost your touch, old man?”

“Levi? What in the blazes are you doing here?”

“It’s strange because you sound surprised,” Levi scratched at his chin, eyeing the hunter with eyes narrowed in suspicion, “and yet I’m almost certain that you knew I’d be here. Or am I wrong?”

“We were looking for you, yes.” Gustav admitted, honest at least. “Figured tracking the spider was the best way to find whatever was left of you. Never thought you’d be _alive_.” It was the hunter’s turn to look suspicious. “How did you survive, anyhow? Where’s the beast?”

“Out. If you thought I was dead, why bother coming to find me?”

“Not my idea.” Gustav muttered. “I only refused to let the fools who were after you walk past the tree line on their own. Idiots, the lot of them. Would’ve been dead in minutes without help.”

“Just a good Samaritan, then?” Levi hummed, unsure if he should believe it.

Gustav was a decent man, as far as Levi was concerned. They’d never had any quarrel, their families had gotten along well enough not to strangle each other each winter, and the Langnar name had always been respected. If Gustav really wasn’t after him, then Levi had no quarrel with him here and now, either.

But Eren, on the other hand…

“I notice you didn’t answer my other question.” Gustav murmured, voice low like he didn’t want to risk waking the other two villagers strung up on either side of him.

Levi felt his features harden in the beginnings of a scowl.

Gustav sighed. “Maybe it’s best if I don’t know what’s going on here with you, I won’t press for answers that I don’t need. Listen, Levi, help me out of this bind and I can get the others myself.”

“The others that want to take me back?” Levi arched a brow. “I’m not an idiot.”

“If you want to stay here, then by all means. I’m not going to stop you, even if I think it’s one step over the line of insanity to stick around in these woods. I’m not asking you to help them,” he jerked his head towards one of the unconscious villagers in gesture, “I know you wouldn’t dream of it, not after…well.”

“Well indeed.” Levi grit his teeth. “Not the warmest of send-offs.”

Another sigh. “Get me down, and leave the rest to me. I’ll get these morons back home safe enough, you’ll never hear from them again. But I’m stuck up good here. I need your help, squirt.”

“No one’s called me that for a while.” Levi huffed a tiny laugh, little more than an amused puff of air.

“Not since you started wearing that frown all the live long day.” Gustav almost smiled.

A stab of empathy shot through Levi then. He remembered his own time being immobilised, trapped in even a little bit of web – relatively light binding compared to these three. The urge to go forward was right there, bubbling up behind his ribs like a tangible thing. But-

“I can’t.” Levi sighed, watching Gustav’s face fall. “Not that I don’t want to. That stuff, it’s nasty business. Even a little contact is damning and I’m not eager to be stuck in it again.”

“You won’t even try?” Gustav began to plead. “Levi, please. I have a family to get back home to. My kids-”

“It’s not that simple. I couldn’t get you out of that myself if I had a hundred years to try. I’d need a weapon to even attempt cutting through that stuff and it’s far more likely that I’d end up damaging you more than the web. You’re stuck, and I’m sorry. But this isn’t something I can help you with.”

“You’ll leave us to die then, I suppose?” Gustav sighed out the words, the beginnings of defeat showing in his eyes.

He’d said it like he knew Levi didn’t have much choice, like he didn’t begrudge the raven for his lack of options. It was miles away from what Levi had been expecting from any captives. Then again, the other two were apparently the ones after Levi anyway. It was blind luck on Gustav’s part that he’d been the first among them to wake, or else Levi was sure his mind would have been set on letting them all becoming Eren’s dinner.

But this was tricky. Levi knew Gustav, not well, not like a near and dear friend, but well enough for guilt to bite into his chest. This man had children to get back to. They’d have a hard time making it through the winter if both of their parents were gone, and Levi doubted any of the other families could spare much to help out.

It might be dangerous, maybe entirely stupid, but there was one thing Levi could try.

Levi ground his teeth, staring hard at the floor. “I can’t get you out of the webs myself but…I might know someone who can.” He watched a hopeful light return to Gustav’s eyes at the words, but held up a hand before the hunter could hope for too much. “You’re not going to like it.”

Gustav shook his head at the implication that he might refuse Levi’s help, whatever form it might take.

“At this point, I’ll take whatever help I can get.” The hunter said, eyes solemn. “Just get me home, squirt.”

Levi huffed out a breath, feeling the beginnings of anxiety gnawing at his gut. “I’ll try.”

 

 

It took just over half an hour before Levi heard signs of Eren returning – the tell-tale scrape of feet against stone. Levi had waited in the tunnel with Gustav, unwilling to leave the man to hang there alone. It was unsettling enough for him being trapped, Levi knew. Leaving Gustav to dwell on his probable demise would have been cruel, so Levi had waited and counted the minutes.

But there was no more time to wait or plan how this might go. Levi’s one chance to make this work had arrived…and he knew he wasn’t ready to ask this of Eren.

There was no other way.

“Eren.” Levi called to summon him when he heard Eren reach the ground.

The sound of his voice roused a weary Gustav and the hunter blinked, sluggish, only to stiffen at the noise of a questioning chirp slicing through the air. The sound was utterly alien to him. Even without seeing what was making that sound, the hunter had to know or else he wouldn’t have looked ready to pass out. Levi understood the fear that shot through Gustav’s eyes, that worried stare snapping over to the raven with no small amount of incredulity.

“Levi..?” Eren called into the cave, his voice echoing and carrying the tail end of that rattlesnake chitter that the raven hadn’t heard in a while.

Eren had not picked a good moment to fall back on his native dialect.

“Over here.” Levi called again, guiding Eren in the right direction with his voice.

“ _This_ is your version of _help_?” Gustav hissed, disbelief painted all over his face. “ _Are you mad_?”

“Possibly.” Levi sighed.

With his recent decisions to remain living with a spider, Levi doubted he could plead a case for his sanity.

Then Levi realised that the cave had gone utterly quiet. Oh. Eren must have heard the voices, one of them not Levi’s. The sudden scuttling a moment later confirmed Levi’s worry and he stood quickly in the entryway, feeling a lick of fear shoot up his spine at the look on Eren’s face when he loomed suddenly in the tunnel. The brunet stopped, unwilling to bowl Levi over in his attempt to get to the prisoners behind him, but his eyes were locked resolutely over Levi’s shoulder.

He looked _livid_.

Eren approached, each step slow and measured, his eyes never leaving the dangling humans. The brunet paused in front of Levi, right in front of him, and Levi had never felt so small. Levi held up his hands, hovering close without touching Eren. He wasn’t quite sure how the arachnid would respond right about then, and it wasn’t worth the risk of losing fingers. Or worse.

“Easy, Eren.” Levi said quietly, trying his best to quell the anger twisting Eren’s face. “They’re still bound, there’s no threat here.”

“Levi,” Gustav hissed behind him, voice urgent, concerned, “get away from that thing!”

Concerned for _Levi_. It was enough to give Levi pause, surprised into silence. But he couldn’t exactly back down. Little did Gustav know, but Levi wasn’t the one in danger there. At least…he hoped not.

Otherwise they were all doomed.

Eren spat a furious hiss over Levi’s shoulder at the sound of Gustav’s voice. His mouth opened wide with the ferocious sound, showing off the pointed canines Eren normally tried not to draw too much attention to, lest Levi be deterred from kissing him. There was none of that concern present now. Eren’s lip curled in a snarl, fury written in every ounce of his being.

He wasn’t calming down.

Levi took a breath, then took a risk. He reached just that little bit further forward, letting his hand touch Eren’s skin – palm pressed to navel.

The hissing quietened, turning to something low instead – guttural and deep enough that Levi could feel the buzz of sound against his palm. It made his fingers tingle. Then an arm had him and Eren tugged the raven over. Demanding, but not rough. Eren’s arm settled over Levi’s shoulders, pressing the raven against him. Eren’s eyes were unmoving from where they watched Gustav slowly spinning, suspended as he was.

“Levi.” Eren rasped, sounding like he was making a considerable effort not to growl.

If he’d planned to say anything else, it was lost to the urge to put the fear of the underworld itself into his captives. That rattlesnake sound was back, only deeper. More eerie somehow. Levi felt the sound vibrate through him and fought a sudden, near-overwhelming need to throw himself to the floor.

Instead, he forced himself to speak if no one else would.

“Eren,” Levi waited, to make sure that Eren was listening but also to make sure he could even keep talking, “this is Gustav. He led these people into the woods to find me, he has a family…and we’re going to let him go now.”

Levi was fairly sure he paled when the arachnid’s head tilted down and all eight of Eren’s eyes slid over to look at him. The rest of Eren had gone eerily still.

“Excuse me?” Eren said the words slowly and somehow that only made it worse.

Levi could feel tremors starting in his legs, his knees shaking a little. But he was Gustav’s only hope and that meant no running, nothing but talking, even pleading if it came to that.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Levi said, wishing that Eren would look anywhere but at him right then. “He’s promised to take the others back home and we’ll never see them again.”

“He said that, did he?” Eren asked, still too slow, too calculating. “You just had to talk to the food.”

Despite his fear that this was all going south fast, Levi felt an urge to put himself between Eren and the humans again. He stepped away, surprised that Eren let him go at all. The brunet’s hand lingered on Levi’s shoulder as long as it could, fingers sliding off with a whisper as Levi stepped back and out of reach.

“Eren.” Levi tried for stern. “Don’t you dare give me the ‘don’t sympathise with the enemy’ speech. Gustav isn’t going to hurt me.” Levi’s tone turned gentle for his next words. “He won’t hurt you either…he just wants to go home.”

Eren’s eyes remained hard, his expression cold. “To get reinforcements, no doubt.” His head tilted just slightly to the side. “Weren’t _you_ the one who was so worried about people coming here?”

“That worry isn’t gone.” Levi said, and he meant it. “But this isn’t some out of his mind man, Eren. He doesn’t give a flying shit what happens after he leaves this cave, so long as he gets to leave it. Let him go. Please.”

“And the others that want to get their filthy hands on you?”

Levi swallowed. Even he wasn’t so sure about the other two. There was a chance that they would return, and if they even vaguely remembered the way…things could get ugly.

The raven wet his lips, thinking carefully.

“Just Gustav, then?” He ventured.

Levi knew it was asking a lot, especially considering all that Eren had done for him just today. Even so, the raven hoped against hope that Eren could be persuaded to release just one of his prisoners. Just one more compromise for the day. Levi wouldn’t ask for a single thing if he could just make this work.

Eren looked like he was going to say no and Levi wracked his brain for something, anything, that could make this work.

“You don’t even have to remove his binds here.” Levi blurted out, speaking as fast as he could think and praying that it worked. “Just…carry him to the edge of the woods,” he said, a final, desperate plan forming, “yes, leave him somewhere safe, and he can make his way home from there?”

That was as good of an idea as Levi was going to have. It would work, if Eren gave it a chance. All he had to do was take Gustav with him as far as it was necessary for the hunter to be safe, then unbind the man and never have to worry about him again. If Gustav kept his word, that was. Levi believed that he would.

Eren didn’t look so sure.

Gustav hadn’t uttered a word since Eren had started with this feral behaviour, but Levi could practically feel the man’s faith in him slipping. With each suggestion that Eren turned down, the chances of escape grew slimmer.

There wasn’t much else that Levi could say, and a better plan did not exist.

“ _Please_ , Eren.” Levi said finally, barely more than a whisper. The pleading had started, a last resort, and Levi didn’t care who heard him beg if it saved a man’s life. “Just this one person, this _one_ time. He doesn’t deserve to die here.”

Eren’s glower turned impossibly darker, a deep rumble stirring in his chest.

Levi’s options had officially run dry. He swallowed.

Across from him, the arachnid turned his gaze to one side. That glower was still present, all those eyes burning with distaste, and finally Eren looked back towards Levi.

“Fine.” Eren uttered, tone sour.

 Somehow Levi didn’t feel triumphant at all.

He let Eren step past when the arachnid started forward. Even speaking to thank Eren didn’t seem like a good idea right then, so Levi kept his mouth shut. He startled at a sudden, sharp barb that slid free on the underside of the spider’s abdomen as Eren passed though, the needle-like spike emerging near to the back towards the spinners.

That looked decidedly unfriendly.

Levi’s eyes widened. “Eren, what are-”

“I’ll take him out of here,” Eren cut him off, and that feral rasp had yet to fade from his tone, “but he’s getting sedated. That is not up for negotiation.”

Eren’s words were shaky, the softer syllables tapering into sounds that were decidedly animal, and Levi knew better than to argue.

He had to at least forewarn Gustav.

“Shit,” Levi muttered, noticing Gustav’s wide eyes as he watched the approaching arachnid, “don’t struggle, Gustav. This might hurt, but it won’t kill you. You’re going to be fine.”

If the hunter was grateful at all, he didn’t get a chance to express his gratitude.

Eren stood over the parcel in moments, gripping the thick strand of web at the top that secured Gustav’s binding to the ceiling. The sticky webbing would never betray its weaver, and Eren handled it without worry. There was a muted thud and a pained sound from Gustav as he was stung. The man did not move again after that.

Levi watched the spine underneath Eren retract, noting its location in case Eren ever tried to pull a stunt like that on him. Not that there would be much to do to stop it.

Not if Eren got into another mood like this.

Eren pulled the bundled Gustav down, securing the web parcel over his back with a new strand in silence. It was the kind of quiet that made Levi unsettled. He didn’t try to break it. With the human secured over his back, Eren stalked past Levi and out of the tunnel without a word or glance.

Levi watched Eren scale the wall and disappear outside.

And then he was alone again. More or less.

A shaky breath rattled out of Levi, though it wasn’t quite relief. His lungs ached, and Levi realised he’d not been breathing much at all for a lot of what had transpired, too cautious of Eren’s mood.

That…had not been good.

Levi ate some of his preserved meat and fruit in place of dinner, not game to ask for Eren’s help. He’d briefly considered breaking the ban on going outside, but that had been a very new agreement. Without knowing whether or not it was safe, Levi wouldn’t risk it. So Levi settled for scavenged morsels and what little water he’d managed to bring back from the river, stripping out of his clothes and wading into new ones for sleep. The raven huddled down into his bed before it was even fully dark outside. Levi was eager to avoid dealing with Eren in this black mood of his, ducking far beneath the blankets and hoping to fall asleep before the brunet made it back.

Fate, it seemed, had other ideas.

Not a half-hour later and Levi groaned inwardly at the sluggish sounds of new voices in the cave. The other captives were waking. And these ones might have some answers for him. Levi didn’t want to get up, but he knew this was a chance to garner some potentially valuable information.

His feet carried him out of the nest and before Levi knew it he was standing before the two remaining villagers.

These two…were not as familiar. Levi stared hard at the bemused faces that gazed back at him and only recalled seeing these men around the village a handful of times. He suspected that they lived elsewhere. Probably another town nearby, somewhere over the hills. It was likely that they’d come to visit in preparation to go hunting, and no doubt had learned of the recent incident in Levi’s village.

Levi didn’t bother with anything witty, he didn’t try to play the confident interrogator. Instead, the raven rubbed at his weary eyes and let go of a sigh that felt bone-deep.

“What do you want from me?” Levi asked, exhaustion evident even in that brief sentence.

“You’re the Omega?” One of them, the more awake of the two, looked at Levi sceptically. “I wasn’t expecting such a scrawny little runt.”

“Just answer the question,” Levi huffed, “please. I need this day to be over and done with, and I don’t have long to find out what I want to know.”

“Get us down from here and we’ll show you what we want from you, little whore.” The man leered as best he could from upside down.

Despite knowing that he was perfectly safe, the words still made Levi shudder. His disgust seemed to surprise the prisoners.

“What’s with that look? Don’t act coy with me, I’ll bet you’re practically gagging for it.”

“Not in a million years with that imagery,” Levi said flatly, giving the men a scathing once-over, “certainly not if either of you are involved.”

“No time for attitude now. Get us down from here, Omega.”

Levi stared him down, feeling his skin crawl just looking at this utter animal of a human being. “I wouldn’t, even if I could. You really came all this way just so you could rut some Omega you don’t know? And you think I’d actually help you? You think I’d even try.”

Quiet descended for a moment, the pair realising that this Omega had a voice. It had opinions. Somehow, Levi knew they wouldn’t like that.

He watched the cogs turning in their heads, foul thoughts forming, no doubt.

“He must be in cahoots with the beast.” The second man spoke up, and he sounded a lot less sure of himself than the first. Nervous. Afraid of being right. Afraid of what that might mean for them.

His words had an odd effect on his companion, it was their turn to look disgusted.

“You know…I think you might be right.” Scumbag Number One stared Levi right in the eye. “He looks awful calm for someone so little standing in a spider’s nest…now why would that be? Unless the little whore has already given up its gifts?”

“Shut your nasty mouth, or I’ll shut it for you.”

“Bold words, runt. But I bet you wouldn’t sound so tough if I bent you over one of these rocks. I could teach you a lesson you’d not soon forget, monster-” The words cut off.

Levi wondered why the captives’ eyes were so wide for all of a second before he felt it – the presence just behind him. When Levi glanced back, he was not surprised to see Eren there. The arachnid was only centimetres behind him, though his attention was not fixed on the raven. Eren drew up to his full height, looking even more livid than before, and Levi wasted no energy on shame when he began to tremble just a little.

“Levi,” Eren’s voice had never gotten so low, but somehow Levi knew the tone was not meant to frighten him and the tremors in him faded as Eren spoke, “get some sleep. Let me remind these vermin of their place on the food chain.”

That anger still lurked, Levi was sure, but Eren had clearly heard some of what these prisoners had said. And, unless Levi was misreading things, Eren was coming to his defence.

It might have almost seemed noble, if Levi wasn’t one step away from being terrified.

Levi ducked his head, making to pass Eren and head out of the tunnel. There was no point in arguing. Eren’s ire had been raised enough for one day and he had a good outlet to focus it on. Levi paused, a hand resting briefly over the fuzz of one of Eren’s legs, and he couldn’t quite make himself look the arachnid in the eye when Eren turned to glance down at him.

“Thank you.” Levi said, just a quiet murmur.

There was a low sound, not quite a growl, and Levi kept walking without trying to decipher the response.

Shouts echoed after him, suddenly full of panic.

“W-Wait! Get us down!”

“Don’t you l-leave us with this thing!”

“C-Call off your beast, Omega! Hey! I’m _talking_ to you! Get back here and help us!”

At the end of the tunnel Levi paused and turned. “I’m not in the business of saving monsters from themselves.” He said with complete apathy.

Levi had bartered for the value of enough lives today and he refused to let these two weigh on his conscience.

The screaming started not long after Levi’s words sank in.

The raven watched Eren’s slow, menacing advance on the struggling captives and grey eyes held two horrified gazes until Eren’s body obscured them from view. Despite the horrific soundtrack of Eren’s vengeance, Levi managed to drift off within minutes of crawling back into his nest.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole "are these assholes bothering you" scene was too good to pass up.
> 
> Yes, Eren ate those dudes. They had it coming.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot I'd had this chapter finished, so here you guys go. We'll call it a late Christmas present.

 

Eren was nearby when Levi woke, a warm presence next to the raven.

Despite being clearly put out the prior evening, Eren had not left Levi to suffer the chilly night alone. He was there. Eren wasn’t bundled in the blankets with Levi, but he’d stuck around to help the raven combat the cold nonetheless.

Levi wondered how long he could feign still being asleep. Not long, as it turned out. A hand drifted to his hair, fingers trailing against his scalp, and Levi couldn’t help the pleased little shiver that ran through him. Any pretence of sleep was over. Levi sighed, stretched out for a long moment, and finally risked peeking out from underneath his blankets.

He wasn’t surprised to find eyes on him.

There were no words, not right away. Eren just watched him with those considering eyes, brooding in the post-dawn quiet.

Levi figured he would have to be the one to break the silence.

“I take it your guests overstayed their welcome?” Levi ventured to ask.

He had a feeling that the pantry would be empty that day, though the tunnel seemed more haunting in his mind’s eye with nothing in it. A reminder. Levi had been walking on very thin ice. He wasn’t sure things were much better now.

“I’m surprised you slept through all the squealing.” Eren commented, his eyes flickering with memory.

Distaste followed.

Levi winced. “So am I.”

He hadn’t missed all of the screaming chaos, but being able to drift off amidst all that noise had been surprising. Levi was grateful that he’d been exhausted enough to pass out.

“Are you upset with me?” Eren asked and Levi felt his jaw drop.

He stared at the brunet with wide, incredulous eyes, but Eren only raised an eyebrow at him.

“I thought you were the one who was pissed off with me? Why would _I_ be upset?” Levi asked, his brows rising. “Scared? Sure, a little bit after all that posturing. What made you think I’d be upset?”

Eren blinked at him. “I released only one of your people. The others suffered for their comments, for assuming to have any right to you, and I did it all with you sleeping right here.” The brunet tilted his head. “Are you very angry with me?”

Ah. Eren seemed to think they were on rocky ground because he had been so reluctant to compromise and free a captive. In reality, Levi had been the one dreading Eren’s reaction.

“No.” Levi answered. He wasn’t angry, just wary after Eren’s cold behaviour. “The last two deserved what they got, animals that they were.”

They had been the kind of people Levi had expected to come into the woods after him. Mindless fools surrendered to either fear of an unknown or to lust. Unfortunately for Levi, it had been the latter.

“You should not have asked what you did of me.” Eren said, voice thick with displeasure.

The raven gave a resigned exhale. “I know that.”

“Those humans were mine from the instant they were caught in my web.” Eren continued, his bitterness probably not aimed at Levi. He stared the raven down. “No human has _ever_ walked free of those webs before yesterday, Levi.”

“I didn’t plan on asking.” Levi said, quiet and glum. “I didn’t even plan on talking to them, but I heard someone starting to wake.”

“You were curious?” Eren guessed.

“I wanted answers.” Levi admitted. He sighed, reaching out with an arm to brush the fuzz of one of Eren’s nearby legs. “It didn’t occur to me that there would be someone in that tunnel that didn’t deserve to be there, not even for a second did I think about that. I just assumed.”

And assuming could have gotten a good man killed. Levi wasn’t an idiot, he knew that the majority of his village that would attempt coming after him would be doing so with foul intentions. Levi wasn’t sure which option would be worse at this point – rape, study and experimentation, or death. No wonder his first instinct had been to get as far from other humans as possible.

As if sensing his growing discomfort, Eren’s hand returned to brush hair from Levi’s face. Eren slid that hand down to cradle one side of the raven’s head and Levi was grateful for the contact. Omega influence or not, Eren’s hands on him felt safe.

The brunet scooted closer, his expression less closed-off. Solemn, but with understanding.

Eren sighed, meeting Levi’s eyes. “Barely a day ago, you asked me what I planned to do about these people chasing you,” he reminded the raven, “but you _knew_ the answer. Anyone who came into my territory would be caught. They would be killed.” Eren’s voice was borderline stern, but the rhythm of his thumb brushing up and down the side of Levi’s face was gentle in contrast. “You accepted that fact,” he reminded him, “I know you would have said so if you’d thought for a second that wasn’t what they deserved.”

Levi shrugged, for he couldn’t deny that. “I expected that they would all be monsters with their own, crazed reasons for coming after me.”

Memories of the previous day ripped through Levi’s head, his surprise at Gustav’s motives, just wanting to keep a bunch of idiots safe. From themselves, even.

The raven sighed. “The reality was different. I knew you would be unhappy, but the consequences of letting Gustav die were too awful. His kids don’t have anyone else. I couldn’t have their lives, their inevitable deaths without him, on my conscience.” Levi picked at the edge of one of his blankets, his voice was firm when he spoke. “I’m not sorry that I asked you to let him go. I would do it again, but only ever for a good reason.” He met Eren’s gaze again. “That was a good reason.”

The arachnid was quiet, just watching Levi with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Considering Levi’s words, no doubt, and deciding whether or not Levi’s obstinance was forgivable. But Eren didn’t look angry. Not anymore.

He just looked sad at even the small distance between them. Eren’s eyes trailed over Levi’s face, a quiet longing in the slight downturn of his mouth. But the brunet wouldn’t be deterred.

Not just yet.

“He should know better than to return,” Eren mused, a little frown appearing on his face, “but if he comes into the woods again, even for a good reason, he won’t be so lucky.”

Levi knew what that meant, the underlying message.

_Don’t ever ask me to let a human go again._

It was a warning more than it was a threat. Eren knew that he wouldn’t be able to overcome any immediate instinct to defend what he viewed as his, particularly where humans were involved. If Levi tried to come between him and a threat, it could end badly.

It was a miracle that things had gone so well yesterday.

Somehow, Levi knew not to be offended by Eren’s warning. The arachnid just wanted him safe, looking distressed even thinking about a repeat incident.

Levi leaned into Eren’s hand, not quite nuzzling and hoping that it comforted the brute.

“Gustav didn’t like the forest _before_ he’d met its inhabitants.” Levi said. “I very much doubt he’ll ever set foot past the tree line ever again.” He assured the worried brunet. “If anything, he’ll do his best to stop anyone from doing so.”

Eren’s frown grew. “You think he’ll talk?”

Levi arched a brow at the question. “About the _giant spider_ he saw in the woods? Absolutely he’ll talk. But I can’t see that being a bad thing,” Levi was quick to reassure Eren, and it wasn’t even a lie, “a little more proof of monsters might just stop this crazy manhunt once and for all.”

Eren’s frown softened a little, his mouth set in a grim line. “I hope you’re right.”

For his sake, and the sake of moving on, Levi hoped so too.

The raven let a quiet moment linger, finding Eren’s free hand and playing idly with the long fingers.

Eren’s hands were larger than Levi’s, the fingers thicker, a little calloused, but clean. Eren was always clean, somehow. Levi thumbed at little roughened areas, sliding over smoother skin around Eren’s palm. The brunet didn’t tense or try to shake him off. In fact, Eren seemed quite content to let Levi play, tracing and tugging with no real goal in mind. Levi liked Eren’s hands – they were probably the most human part of him. Not that being more human was anything to brag about, but whenever Levi felt himself feeling fleeting worry about living with a monster, he could always come back to those parts of Eren that they both had. Hands, noses, navels, hair. Simple things. Knowing that he and Eren had something like that in common, that their ancestors shared similar roots in humanity, made Levi feel a little better. Neither of them were human anymore, and that wasn’t so bad either.

When Levi finally laced his fingers through Eren’s and held on, he was almost surprised to feel the brunet squeeze back.

It was a pleasant surprise.

“Are we okay, then?” Levi asked, pulling Eren’s hand close before he sought out that multi-eyed gaze. “Or is this going to be an ongoing tantrum kind of deal?”

A quiet rumble stirred in Eren’s chest, not a moody sound but something Levi felt the need to soothe away regardless. He coaxed the hand in his closer, brought that hand up to his lips, and kissed the knuckles. Tender, unmistakable.

Eren leaned a little closer, letting go of a sigh. “I suppose I could be persuaded to let this go.”

In that case, Levi felt he had a decent idea of how to persuade Eren’s mood to improve.

“Come here.” Levi called him over, gentle.

Eren looked only slightly suspicious, but his longing for reunion was more than clear. Impossibly close now, Levi was forced to shift to better allow Eren into his space – arms winding over Eren’s shoulders, his legs stretched out straight. Levi pulled the brunet close, leaning in until they bumped foreheads. Eren’s eyes closed as he relished the moment and it seemed like such a shocking sign of trust that for a moment Levi forgot to breathe.

When Eren’s eyes flicked back open, the raven’s lungs remembered their job.

Levi slid one of his hand up Eren’s shoulder blades, skimming past his nape, to settle over the back of Eren’s neck.

Eren was expecting a kiss and he got one, a first press of contact. When Eren made to tilt his head, seeking more, he was surprised to find Levi guiding his head to the other side instead. A murmured hush cut off Eren’s questioning chirp, a pale finger pressed to his lips.

The kisses didn’t stop, but Levi led them away from Eren’s mouth. He followed the brunet’s jaw, mouthing gentle affection into the skin as he went, before slipping down the side of Eren’s neck. Here, there was more immediate warmth. That might have had something to do with the way Eren flushed to his chest, the flesh there turning pink and heated. It suited him. The blush only grew darker with the gentle threat of Levi’s teeth. Just a nip or two here and there, something to keep Eren on his toes, figuratively speaking.

“L-Levi..?” Eren’s voice shook, curiosity present and also a tiny hint of concern. “What are you-”

Levi slinked back up to kiss him quiet, letting Eren have a little more of the attention he wanted this time. The arachnid’s lips shone, a little wet this time when Levi drew back. He admired his handiwork, a thoroughly flustered and bemused Eren staring back up at him in equal parts shock and want.

Eyes fixed on Levi’s mouth and the raven let Eren lean up for another kiss, then another. The third was thwarted. A tiny tilt of Levi’s head had Eren’s mouth landing off target, just shy of Levi’s smirking lips, and a protesting chirp sounded in response.

Eren pouted against Levi’s cheek, sulking.

He chased after Levi’s mouth, whining when the raven evaded him.

Levi ducked to the side again, latching onto Eren’s neck in an open-mouthed kiss, hearing the brunet huff his frustration. Eren seemed happy enough with the attention, just not quite where he wanted it to be. Eren gave a moody chitter. From near his Adam’s apple, Levi felt the noise buzz against his lips and he gave a little hum in response. It had Eren tensing at the unusual sensation. Not as much as he tensed at Levi’s suddenly wandering hands, mischievous fingers trailing patterns down Eren’s back, a hand brought around to his front, braced against the brunet’s chest.

The heartbeat thumping beneath his fingers gave Levi pause, another thing about he and Eren that was similar. Eren’s heart was racing, his skin hot under Levi’s touch.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” Eren said above him, his voice a mix of suspicion, wariness, and maybe even something hopeful.

“Trying?” Levi chuckled against Eren’s throat, pressing one kiss, then another, up the column of the arachnid’s neck. When he was high enough, Levi spoke against the shell of Eren’s ear. “Seems like I’m succeeding.”

Eren hummed in response, nervous and more than a little confused. Just recently, Levi had expressed concerns about the prospect of further intimacy. According to the raven’s limited knowledge of Omegas, he shouldn’t be able to conceive unless his body entered a heat. That Levi should express any sort of desire for physical intimacy at all stunned Eren; the casual nature of this pleasure was unlike anything the arachnid was used to. He had his expectations of how their mating might go, if Levi would accept him. If Eren was lucky, he’d make it through the experience with all his limbs intact.

But they weren’t at any sort of stage that suggested Levi would want to take this much further…which made the raven’s zealous affection quite confusing.

Humans must have been much more eager with their intimate physicality.

Eren made a conscious effort to acknowledge that, despite Levi’s interest, the little Omega was not looking to stir Eren to mate with him. The wrong response could easily get the arachnid kicked out of Levi’s nest for good.

Long-ignored flesh began to stir and Eren balked at the new interest, stunned that he could even react in such a way.

Levi’s eyes were a little wide when Eren pressed him hurriedly back, as gently as he could but still quite fast. The brunet needed a moment, probably a few moments, to calm himself.

“Is everything alright?” Levi asked, the beginnings of concern tugging his brows together.

“Fine, good,” Eren said, panting and shaken, “just…this might need to stop if you don’t want…if you’re not ready for…”

The arachnid trailed off and after a moment Levi’s eyes lit up with realisation. Eren expected a reprimand of some sort, so he was stunned when Levi gave a startled laugh.

“I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you.” Levi hushed his own, mildly alarmed giggles. “I was just kidding about the whole seduction bit, but damn. I wasn’t wrong, huh?”

Eren shook his head, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. He must have flushed some spectacular shade for Levi gave another little laugh, this one sympathetic, and began to hush the arachnid with fond little murmurs.

“No, no, it’s alright.”

“It’s fine, Eren. Really, my bad.”

“C’mere. Don’t look so miserable.”

Levi scooted in close, tugging Eren in by the shoulders until his head was bedded against the raven’s chest. There was a hand petting his hair, another rubbing soothingly up and down his upper arm. Levi wasn’t making fun of him at least. He was amused, but Eren didn’t feel like he was being laughed at. More like the situation was what Levi found funny, ridiculous even. And if it meant getting to be cuddled like this, like Eren was some vulnerable little creature in need of comfort, then the arachnid wasn’t about to complain.

 

Eren crept off to find Levi some breakfast by way of an apology for almost letting their fun get a little out of hand. Personally, Levi found it more funny than anything else. He didn’t feel like arguing about something so silly, so he let Eren slink off and was pleasantly surprised when the brunet returned with an armload of eggs.

Assuming that there were no suicidal chicken farmers lurking about in the woods, Levi could only imagine that Eren had scaled several trees to raid bird nests. He bit back laughter, thanking Eren instead.

It seemed like a lot of effort to go to for getting mildly aroused.

With the new freedom of Eren’s dry web, Levi was able to go outside to cook his meal. Eren ventured up with him, ensuring that the raven didn’t go far. The brunet remained wary of potential spies within the forest, but he was happy that the fire Levi had to make didn’t need to be built in his lair. Levi kept the blaze small, just enough to cook up his eggs in one of the small saucepans. It would be a pain to clean up. When Levi mentioned that, Eren volunteered himself to take the saucepan down to the stream to clean it.

Levi could guess his reasoning, not wanting the raven to venture too far from the lair after the whole “talking trees” incident. He didn’t bother arguing.

The raven was busy remaking his bedding when Eren returned with the now-clean saucepan for Levi’s inspection. Eren had done a decent job, worthy of praise. The brunet stooped when Levi beckoned him closer, delivering a single peck to Eren’s cheek before sauntering off to put the saucepan away. He left the newly blushing Eren to potter around on his own for a while.

It still surprised Levi how Eren could be honestly and absolutely terrifying in one moment, only to stagger around completely smitten the next.

After breakfast, Levi took one of the larger empty jars and handed it to Eren. His request was simple – water. Eren scuttled off to gather some from the river. Ever the faithful beast if Levi asked nicely.

When the brunet returned, he almost dropped the jar at the shocking sight waiting for him.

Levi was folding the clothes he’d warn to sleep, standing stark naked and wielding nothing but a bit of torn rag from somewhere. He grew quickly impatient when all Eren could do was stare, gobsmacked. Levi began to tap his foot, frustration manifesting itself in the small mannerism, and Eren finally snapped out of it. He crept carefully down the wall, mindful of the glass jar. Levi took it from him with a word of thanks, setting down the jar and dipping the rag in the water to soak. Eren realised what was happening when Levi took the newly wet cloth and began to scrub at his arms. The ban on leaving was a hindrance. Levi couldn’t make it down to the river to bathe without potentially endangering himself, and so he found an alternate way to get clean.

This method was probably not as refreshing as being able to dunk himself in the icy waters of the stream. Nevertheless, Levi looked relieved to be able to wash up at all.

He didn’t comment on Eren’s blatant staring. If Levi felt awkward at all, he didn’t bother mentioning it. Eren didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with appraising the creature he’d chosen to court, and he didn’t get to see Levi like this too often. The raven liked his clothes, even though the ones he had here were too big for him. Eren circled the bathing Omega. He kept a good distance, not wanting to spook Levi or earn a reason to get swiped at. From that distance, he puzzled over this pale, skinny creature.

From their earlier activities, Eren could be sure that he was interested in Levi. Even his more human anatomy had expressed quite a keen interest in the Omega, and Eren didn’t usually pay much mind to what lay inside his genital slit. It had never been useful before. The other arachnids bred in an entirely different fashion and Eren had never had a reason to be attracted to anything remotely humanoid.

Levi was different, his Omegan scent sweet in Eren’s nose. That probably had a lot to do with said attraction, but then again it probably had a lot to do with Levi’s interest in Eren, also. He didn’t feel bad for thinking about it that way.

Levi’s Omegan heritage was making way for a strange but pleasant relationship, something Eren doubted he would have ever experienced had Levi not fallen into his web.

“What? Are you waiting for an encore?”

Eren blinked, finding Levi standing in front of him. The raven was clothed now, arms crossed over his chest loosely, and a little smirk curving his mouth.

“Wow you were drifting hard there, weren’t you?” Levi chuckled, shaking his head. Then he gave Eren a quick once over and looked up at him. “Want to practice some climbing?”

 

 

By climbing, Levi had meant specifically him scaling Eren.

The safest place for Levi was with Eren, and that included their ventures into the forest. But Eren was very different to riding a horse, and Levi had only done that a few times besides. It was a bit tricky getting up onto the arachnid’s abdomen from the ground, so Levi convinced Eren to run a few drills. If Levi held out his hand, it meant he wanted to go up. All Eren had to do was take said hand and give Levi something easy to pull himself up with.

They tried it from a standstill, at walking pace, and even with Levi bolting right at Eren.

Now that had been an interesting spectacle.

Levi was a fast little thing, small but not slow. He was quite nimble on his feet, able to leap and swing himself up and around onto Eren’s back if he caught the brunet’s hand at the right angle. It was impressive, actually. Something that Eren felt quite pleased about, like Levi was determined not to be helpless. He wanted to practice. To be ready for threats out there in the forest.

It was a promising attitude.

Although it made Eren feet more like an overgrown centaur than a predator. Levi had laughed when he’d admitted as much.

“Are there centaurs here?” Levi had asked, looking far too excited for Eren’s liking.

“Yes.” He’d answered with a little frown. “They’re proud creatures and not all that common in these woods. I’ve encountered the odd herd or two from time to time. We have an understanding of sorts.”

Levi arched a brow, curious. “What kind of understanding?”

“The kind where we don’t bother one another.” Eren muttered. “If they see me, they leave me alone, and if I find any of them in my webs, I release them. Call it a truce, if you will.”

Levi frowned then. “I thought you said nothing ever got released from your webs?”

“I said no human has.” Eren corrected, casting a glance towards the cave’s entrance. “Centaurs are different. They belong here, and I have more in common with them than any human out there, being only half-beast.”

“Fair enough.” Levi said after a moment, giving a shrug. “Though you’re half-human, too.”

“The lesser half.” Eren sneered.

The raven only scoffed. “Well you can thank your lucky stars for that lesser half, because it’s the only reason we can even communicate.”

Levi had a point there, Eren admitted to himself somewhat sourly. He took little pride in his human heritage, knowing that such ties only brought weakness. And loneliness, in his case. There weren’t many arachnids that appreciated his presence, though they wouldn’t outright refuse him either. Eren was used to feeling unwelcomed. His mother had felt the same way, though she had been entirely human. An outcast from her people, though for far lesser reasons than Levi. Driven to leave when no one else would help her, his mother had found this forest. Not the same area. When Eren had been born, it had been miles and miles away in another corner of the woods. Eren had never asked how she had managed to meet his father and live, though he’d heard there was some questionable magic involved.

In the beginning, Eren had had a lot of siblings. All of them were tiny little things, small enough to sit in the palm of their mother’s hand.

Not many of them survived. Some were sickly. Others were picked off by bitter arachnids, furious at the supposedly forbidden union. Humans were dangerous, Eren had learned that from a very young age when half the forest came after the woman that had birthed him.

She lasted a long time. Impressive, really. Eren’s memories of her were mostly lessons, chittering at her in words she couldn’t understand until he’d learned to replicate her own language.

It didn’t often come in handy. Eren hadn’t spoken to many creatures with human words until he’d come across other hybrids, or abominations as some called them. Between learning from his mother and encountering other half-beasts, Eren learned a lot about human languages. He’d always believed that his natural dialogue, the one he’d known to speak from birth, was the better language.

And then he’d met Levi.

Without his mother’s patience, teaching him word by word, and countless other interactions with hybrids over the years, Eren doubted he would have ever managed to court this feisty Omega. But more than that, Eren knew that if he didn’t have his human heritage, he wouldn’t have ever even wanted to speak to Levi. He would have eaten the little raven, along with any others. Eren could see exactly the kind of life he would have had as a regular giant spider. A horrible game of survival, attempting to win over some terrifying female, and no doubt being eaten by her.

With Levi, Eren got this bizarre struggle. He got to win Levi’s affections through a mess of banter and bickering and learning. Eren got good things like cuddles, though that mostly occurred when Levi was asleep and snuggled against the arachnid for warmth. He got kisses, which Levi seemed more and more willing to hand out. Most of all, Eren got company.

He knew what solitude felt like, and Eren never wanted to be alone like that again.

“What’s with that pout?” Levi’s voice jolted Eren out of his thoughts, finding the raven staring up at him. “It’s not me, right? I haven’t even said anything.”

Eren made a moody sound, but he reached out to tug the raven closer. Levi came without a word, raising an eyebrow at Eren but thankfully choosing not to say anything. Instead of words, Levi proceeded with actions. A hand reached up and Eren was surprised but he took it, watching Levi climb his way up using various parts of the arachnid as footholds. After their brief practice, things made a little more sense. Instead of scooting around the back to stand or sit on the spider’s abdomen, Levi approached Eren’s front. A more personal visit up close. Levi’s legs hooked around Eren’s hips for grip, arms around the brunet’s shoulders. Levi didn’t protest the hands that relocated under the backs of his thighs to help keep the raven up. Eren was being helpful, not cheeky.

Face to face, Levi stared Eren down.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, and Eren got the feeling Levi wouldn’t push if he said no.

The brunet shook his head. He didn’t feel it was necessary to bother Levi with his past, nor the thoughts Eren had about being partially human.

Levi gave a single nod. “Well alright then. Mind if I do a little poking around, then?”

Eren paused at the words, thrown. “What do you mean?”

“Just a distraction for you, maybe a learning experience for me. I thought I could get to know you a little better, at least what you look like, how you work. That sort of thing. That okay?”

An uncertain noise escaped the arachnid.

Levi chuckled at him. “It’s not going to hurt, geez.”

Eren fretted, which was pretty funny to watch from up close when the best Eren could do was shuffle about. His hands were busy holding Levi up.

Finally, Eren gave a defeated sigh.

“What do you want me to do?”

Levi thought about that, a contemplative hum buzzing in his throat.

“Open up.” Levi said suddenly, tapping a finger against Eren’s lips when the arachnid only looked confused.

“Why?”

“I’m curious. If I’m going to be sticking my tongue in there, I might as well have an idea of what to expect.”

“You know what’s in there.” Eren argued, trying and failing to dodge mischievous fingers. “Teeth, tongue, gums. What more could you want to know?”

He made a noise of protest when Levi hooked a thumb past his lips, attempting to pry the brunet’s mouth open. Levi was gentle, but he still smirked at Eren’s slurred chirps. There wasn’t much point in trying to argue with Levi, not when simply giving over to his wishes would make the experience pass a lot quicker. So Eren opened his mouth at last. He was a little satisfied at the wary look Levi gave the mouthful of teeth he was faced with – pointed but not razor sharp. They didn’t cut into Levi when he touched and pressed. Towards the front, near to the canines, there was a set of longer teeth – fangs. These moved when Levi stroked a finger down one, the teeth extending a little further. These were much sharper.

“Now that’s a nasty looking piece of equipment.” Levi commented, though he sounded more fascinated than disgusted. “What does it do?”

Eren mumbled around the fingers in his mouth, the words unintelligible, and Levi snorted. Eren scowled at him.

“Sorry, sorry,” Levi chuckled, withdrawing for a moment. “You were saying?”

Eren worked his jaw for a moment, frowning. “Venom.” He said, the tip of his tongue pressing at one of the elongated teeth and coaxing it to retract again. “Poison, for digestion. Those teeth are for easier eating.” The brunet clarified.

“What does the poison do?”

“It turns insides into liquid.” Eren answered casually, like that wasn’t a horrifying prospect.

“People soup, huh? So you _can_ poison people.” Levi observed, eyes narrowing a little.

“But I didn’t poison you.” Eren said, glaring back. “I didn’t lie about that. I only made you sleep, so that I could bring you here more easily, so you wouldn’t have to watch me silence your townspeople.”

“It still stung like hell.”

Eren’s glare faded, replaced with something repentant. “I am sorry. You were delirious and panicking that first night. There was no way I could have carried you all the way here in such a state, not without drawing a lot of unwanted attention. I didn’t want you to be hurt.”

“Hmm. Well let’s just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Okay.” Eren said in a small voice, glancing almost shyly back at Levi. “Can I have my mouth back now?”

Levi laughed at the wording, finding some of Eren’s phrasing to be almost childlike at times. It made for some amusing, if endearing, moments.

“Sure.” Levi nodded, still smirking. “I was mostly worried about pointy teeth, but I think it should be alright as long as you don’t bite me. Well, not hard anyway.”

“Would you…want me to bite you?” Eren asked, brows furrowing. “Why?”

The raven took one look at the befuddled expression on Eren’s face and backtracked.

“On second thoughts, how about no biting in general?” Levi said quickly. “Seems safest.”

Eren didn’t always understand jokes or Levi’s playfulness, and a stray comment like that could just land the raven in trouble if he wasn’t careful.

Levi abandoned his inspection of Eren’s mouth to look at his eyes, probably a lot closer than Eren was really comfortable with. The arachnid gave a few, uneasy chirps but he didn’t try to shoo Levi away. Grey eyes narrowed, taking in the differences between Eren’s main pair of eyes and the little ones. Eren’s normal set of eyes were quite lovely. They still had a little mottling colour around them from Eren’s healing bruises, but mostly the spider was back to normal. Above each of the regular eyes were three smaller ones. They were quite little, only about a centimetre in diameter, and they were circular in shape. Dark and shiny, like little decorative beads.

They all blinked rapidly as Levi stared into each one and he wondered what Eren was seeing in return? Not for the first time did the raven suspect that Eren could see more than him. He didn’t ask.

Eren was getting anxious, so Levi leaned in close to dab a gentle kiss to his forehead before moving on. That at least left the brunet blushing. Distracted from his worry.

Levi’s quest to learn more of Eren turned into a more specific mission – looking for ticklish spots. Levi himself was rarely ticklish, only ever if someone caught him off guard. He wondered if Eren would even know whether he was ticklish or not, though when Levi explained his purpose the arachnid turned quite smug. Eren seemed very sure that Levi wouldn’t find anything.

The raven was determined, though, and ran his hands over all the skin he found. Eren actually seemed to like that bit considerably, relaxed and smugly content. He clasped his hands behind his back and let Levi explore.

It wasn’t until was standing on the ground again on his own two feet, hands smoothing over Eren’s pelvis, that the brunet seemed to tense. Levi glanced up at Eren, but his eyes quickly returned to his own hands. Levi had reached the place near to where Eren’s torso started to join and merge into his spidery parts. And a little below hip level, right above where the skin started to change, Levi found a barely visible seam. He’d almost passed it off for a scar, an oddly straight scar. But it was too deliberate and Eren was too fidgety all of a sudden for this to be nothing.

“What’s this?” Levi asked, glancing up at Eren.

The arachnid gulped and gave a nervous warble, but other than that he had no answer.

Levi arched a brow at the response. “Do I even want to know?”

The raven had an urge to smooth the pad of his thumb over the seam, but he couldn’t quite gather the nerve. Levi had a good idea of what might be on the other side of that seam if Eren’s sudden blush was any kind of indication, not to mention the location, and it wasn't something the raven was sure he wanted to get familiar with. Not any time soon. Well…at the very least, Levi now knew of two vulnerable places on Eren. All the better to tease him.

Levi eyed the line of paler flesh, a kind of sick curiosity urging him to do something.

But really, he wasn’t quite brave enough to risk possibly arousing Eren and facing the consequences.

Levi backed off quite abruptly, noticing the way Eren exhaled almost immediately.

“I think that’s enough poking around for one day.” Levi said, tone light.

He couldn’t stop the way his mouth quirked up on one side as Eren flushed a deeper shade of embarrassed pink. The arachnid nodded his agreement, silent and staring at the ground.

Levi watched Eren slink off through the cave, no doubt to get back a little composure.

The moment Eren was out of sight, Levi put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. He’d almost stepped over the intimacy line there. Even Eren, with all his hopes and desires, wasn’t ready for that final step yet. Levi shook his head at himself. One of these days his curiosity was going to bite him in the ass, Levi just knew it.

But not today.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How long will that attitude last, Levi? Really?


	14. Chapter 14

 

The ban on leaving the cave, while in place for good reasons, wore quickly on Levi’s patience.

Never in his life had Levi been allowed to be weak. He’d helped with all manner of chores despite his smaller size, survived the most bitter of winters, and lived on the edge of the most perilous wood in the land without losing life or limbs. To be treated as a damsel was more than frustrating.

It was insulting.

In all the raven’s time there, he’d seen more of the cave walls than he had the forest. He wanted to go out, to get to know this place. If he could not learn how to live here, he would surely perish. Or at least be very, very miserable. This place was his home now, after all, and the more time Levi spent in the woods, the less he believed it was out to hurt him. The voice that had whispered in his head, that strange presence, had been alarming of course…but it didn’t feel malicious.

More than anything, Levi felt like the owner of that voice was reaching out to him. Maybe they had answers? Information? Maybe they were like him?

Although Levi was certain that he could not talk to trees, let alone make them speak for him. The chances of this mystery voice belonging to another Omega were slim.

Even so, Levi wanted to meet the stranger.

He doubted that would be happening anytime in the near future, not with Eren marching about on high alert. The arachnid had been setting up more and more defensive webbing. Inside of the lair, he tended to keep the stuff away from anywhere that Levi could reach – better to avoid the raven becoming stuck. Or irritated. But outside was free game, and Eren had the place covered. Quite literally, in fact. The mountainside shrubbery was laced in white. Great sheets of web stretched from the branches of trees, and if Levi didn’t know better he might have thought it had snowed. Only the paths and trails had been left alone, but barely.

Most of the resident fauna were smart enough to avoid the webs, traveling around or picking cautiously along the middle of the trails left untouched. But for any creature that was unfamiliar with these parts? It would be far more difficult.

Eren didn’t want anything unsavoury getting through.

He had seemed so confident that nothing could touch them until Levi had talked to those that were captured. Now the arachnid was less sure.

“You don’t think this is overdoing it?” Levi had asked from the entrance of the tunnel, the farthest he’d been allowed to get to the outside.

He had watched Eren work, and it had taken days for the brunet to complete his task.

Eren didn’t seem to think he was overdoing it. In fact, when he’d glanced around at his handiwork, Eren looked more relaxed than he had since he’d let Gustav go. The arachnid was in his element. He assured Levi that the webs wouldn’t be too harmful to anything that belonged in the forest. Only creatures that weren’t used to these wilds would fall prey to such obvious and extensive webbing, either that or foolish animals. If his webs caught too many animals, Eren would let them go. No use letting good food rot when he could simply free it to be caught again later.

Finally, though, Eren turned his attention to the border of his territory. He hadn’t checked on the traps there as frequently during his mission to build up defences, and now the arachnid was eager to head out.

He’d ushered Levi inside, tucking the Omega into his bedding. Eren fretted only for a short while, chased off by Levi’s biting kisses.

“Go on, get out of here.” Levi shoved at the brunet’s shoulder. “I’ll still be around when you come back.”

Eren cast a worried glance at the cave entrance, turning back to Levi.

“Don’t go far from the entrance, if you have to leave at all. There’s water in your canteen and I filled one of your jars with berries. They’re safe to eat.” Eren ducked to give the raven a parting nuzzle, blinking wide, anxious eyes. “I should be back a little after dark, but I’ll be quicker if I can.”

“Alright, alright,” Levi shooed him away, growing increasingly snappish with the extended confinement, “I’m sure I can survive one day on my own.”

Eren didn’t appreciate being brushed off, eyeing the surly raven. It wasn’t a good idea to leave with Levi in a bad mood, but Eren didn’t have time to lift the Omega’s spirits with promises of the outdoors.

“Just be careful.” Eren said, his tone firm all of a sudden.

He stood over where the raven lay in his blankets, frowning and waiting for a response.

If he was trying to intimidate Levi, it did not have the effect Eren probably desired. Rather than be cowed, Levi felt his gut clench as he gazed up at the stern arachnid hovering over his nest, though the response was not caused by fear. Levi nodded just so that Eren would leave before he could ask why the raven was flushed.

It worked, thankfully, and Eren marched off. With one last backwards glance, Eren scuttled up the wall and out of the lair. The sound of his retreating footfalls faded quickly, the last echo of his departure ringing briefly in the cave.

Finally, Levi found himself alone.

His eyes immediately flicked over to the dry web that led out of the cave. Guilt twisted in him a moment later. Levi felt suitably bad that his first thoughts upon Eren’s departure were ones of leaving the cave. Not to escape, though that was probably what Eren feared. Levi didn’t want to be the cause of such concern, but it had to be done. A life of fear and confinement was not one worth living. Patience, Levi thought to himself. He wasn’t trying anything shady like escape, but if Eren caught him leaving against his wishes it could very well come across that way. Levi settled in to wait. It wouldn’t do him any good to try and leave with Eren only just gone; Levi could stand to delay his departure a little. He passed the time with eating some of the berries Eren had been thoughtful enough to get him, downed some water, and then climbed his way out.

At the mouth of the entrance tunnel, Levi paused to scan ahead.

Not much sunlight. Despite the morning marching on ahead, the forest floor remained quite dull. The canopy tended to block out quite a bit of the sun, but today the gloomy aura of the woods was due to cloud cover and recent rain. The air was cool, but it smelled fresh, a mix of water and damp soil. Levi could stand the temperature, and the smell was pleasant.

Overcast, and the scent of wet soil on the air.

The rain had left dips and pockets in the rocky ground outside filled with water. Thanks to the rain the water was fresh, so Levi took a moment to clean up. He found a dip in the stone, one large enough that it held enough water for him to sit in, and the raven got to work dousing himself in the oversized puddle. Any potential voyeurs, accidental or otherwise, could deal with the raven’s brief nudity. He wasn’t about to sacrifice an opportunity to bathe just because something might see him. Modesty became less of an issue every day.

Particularly with Eren’s habit of staring.

Levi scrubbed at his clothes for good measure, too, and left them hanging on a low branch by the cave entrance. New clothes were retrieved from the cave itself. Levi rummaged about in Eren’s treasure room, pulling out a rucksack to use in his planned day of exploration. He dusted it off as best he could, emptying it out and placing his own items inside – the canteen of water, a rope, and the last of the berries in a smaller jar for easier carrying. Levi lacked proper shoes, so he wrapped some strips of fabric around his feet instead and hoped for the best. He would have to try and stick to the paths.

But finally, Levi felt ready to venture out.

The raven exited the cave with more caution than before, feeling doubly suspicious of any onlookers now that he was actually going to be away from the cave.

Leaving the cave was probably not Levi’s best idea, but he had to be unafraid, so he marched out and faced the forest. Standing just beyond the entrance, Levi paused. He glanced around, but there was only greenery and Eren’s webs to see.

“Alright, trees.” Levi muttered, unsure if he wanted a response or not. “No funny leafy business. Got it?”

The trees had no answer for him, though that wasn’t very surprising.

Levi scowled at the surrounding underbrush for a long moment, feeling spectacularly foolish. He glared at the canopy overhead for good measure, just in case, and sighed – that was about all he could really do.

First steps were taken, and Levi’s curiosity pulled him down the mountainside at a careful pace. Things were slower going without the help of a mighty arachnid steed. Levi managed on his own. He picked his way carefully along the more obvious paths, cautious of Eren’s webs, eyes constantly flickering around to look for movement.

When nothing awful was thrown his way within the first five minutes, Levi felt some of the tension seep from him like a physical weight had been lifted.

So the trees weren’t out to get him, then. Good.

The woods thickened with the descent. Trees packed in close in groups and clusters, the ground covered with leaf litter and shrubbery. At the very least there would be plenty of cover should he have to hide in a hurry, Levi thought a little grimly. He picked his way along the worn trails visible in the dirt, heavy with trodden leaves. Bushes and small plants were examined carefully as Levi passed them by, the raven keeping an eye out for anything that might pass for edible. Seeds or seed pods were Levi’s goal for the day. He needed something, anything, to get his garden going.

Living off berries and rabbit meat wouldn’t keep the raven healthy forever. He needed a reliable source of vegetables. Although after wandering for some hours and discovering nothing of use, Levi was beginning to wonder if he really would need to sneak into the village to steal supplies.

Eren would hate that.

They would need to compromise, though it would be tricky to convince the arachnid of such a risky plan.

Eren had said that Levi could have a garden, but that permission was useless if Levi didn’t even have something to plant. He couldn’t rely on Eren completely for food. What if the arachnid had to go away for more than a day? Levi needed to be able to survive, and that meant he would need his own food. Something reliable – vegetables had never seemed so amazing until Levi didn’t have access to them. What he would have given to find some spinach right about then. Or even a few measly potatoes. Besides, it would be nice to have a reason to need to be outside. Something to prove to Eren that Levi wasn’t going anywhere, for why would he build a garden if he was planning to run? Eren seemed to have his doubts. Surely this would help to remove some of that doubt.

Levi knew he was unlikely to find much in the way of familiar vegetables in the forest, but he hoped to find something edible that he could grow. Wild potatoes, maybe? Mushrooms? Some herbs would be fantastic. Levi might honestly cry if he found something that would make meat interesting to eat again. Levi was sick of merely surviving in this place. If he was going to live here, he wanted it to _feel_ like living. Not just a pattern of shoving bland food in his mouth to make it through another day, endlessly wishing for something better. That was the path to madness.

The ingredients for a home were needed.

Levi had his basics; clothes, access to water, some semblance of a bed, and the ability to cook food. It could all do with improvement, but it was a start. Now Levi wanted to expand. He wanted his garden, then maybe some clothes that actually fit him, then who knew what. The fact that he wanted to go to so much effort was a miracle in itself.

Gradually, the extensive webbing began to thin out. Levi caught glimpses of more throughout the trees, but nothing as smothering as what Eren had left near his lair.

As Levi got farther down the mountain, he began to encounter life. The stream could be heard rushing away, drawing in creatures to drink and frolic. Once or twice Levi spotted rabbits, a few bounding deer in the distance, even birds swooping for tiny insects. It was a strange yet staggering relief to see…life. Levi had felt so closed off from living things, from normality, that even the noise of forest life was its own form of peace.

The river came into sight and Levi marched right up to its banks, sitting briefly to rest and dunk his feet in the chilly water. He dipped his canteen under the surface to ensure it was full.

Here, there was more light even despite the trees that clustered along the banks. Still no direct sunshine, but Levi could look up and catch glimpses of grey sky and packed clouds drifting overhead. There didn’t seem to be more rain incoming, at least not for a while. Levi figured it would be safe enough to keep walking.

But where to next?

His gaze was drawn to the opposite side of the river, all the same greenery but as yet unexplored and therefore mysterious. Levi fiercely desired to go there. With only a brief glance to ensure he was in a shallow area of the river, Levi plunged into the water. The current pushed against him, but gently. Not enough to dislodge his balance, or send the raven tumbling into deeper waters. The river was full and ran high thanks to the rain but, with the aid of a fallen tree and shallows, Levi made it across. He hauled himself out of the water, sopping wet but triumphant.

Ahead, the trees beckoned in silent invitation.

Levi shook himself off as best he could before he marched on, eyes scanning the ground for safe trails. He followed the first one he found and let it lead him for the next hour or so.

The ground sloped gradually, but enough that Levi noticed, and sometime later he found himself climbing up a hill. Dirt and moss paved the way up. Aside from the bareness of the trail, the surrounds were dense with greenery. The trees here weren’t so packed, but shrubbery burst forth from every available space and it felt crowded anyway.

Levi felt a tingling in his skin, like some kind of warning or instinctual knowledge. Danger, maybe? Or the first hints of awareness that perhaps he shouldn’t be here?

Then, he saw it.

In the gloom of the overgrown underbrush, resting at the peak of the hill between thick tree trunks, Levi’s eyes picked out a shape. A plant unlike any he’d seen before. It was enormous, a thing of massive teardrop leaves and thorned vines – at the centre, a horrifying bloom spilled open like a set of jaws. Some curse of nature, like the little plants that witches kept to catch insects or pixies. Only this one was colossal and could likely catch far larger prey. No doubt a horror show and a half in its prime; this one was crumpled. A withered plant, collapsed and long dead, but no less alarming to see. It would have been a terrifying thing to see alive and Levi was glad he hadn’t stumbled upon it before it had perished.

Still, these things rarely died and left nothing. Its corpse was likely the perfect breeding ground for seedlings, and not the kind that Levi desired to have on his person.

He went to back away, but paused when his foot brushed something.

Looking down, Levi frowned at a tiny green shape. It looked like a bean, only bigger. About the size of his thumb. At one end, it had split open just slightly and tiny new leaves were poking out.

A seed pod, Levi realised. As he looked around more, he found that the ground here was covered with them. They all that large bean shape, roundish and pale green. Ready to be planted. Levi frowned, stooping to pick one up. He held it at a safe distance, squinting at the little pod like it might burst into motion and try to bite his fingers off. But nothing happened. The pod didn’t so much as twitch or stir, it remained still in his grasp.

Levi held the pod a bit closer, his brain turning over the idea of keeping it. Almost immediately, he thought that to be a stupid idea. The raven wasn’t sure what these things were, they could be poisonous, or tiny monsters waiting to bloom. If they got roots down, they would likely grow fast. Levi had a good mind to put the seed back and leave this place, with no intention to return. Ever. But even if Levi didn’t know what these seeds were…he did know that most of them would likely perish if they weren’t properly buried. Looking around, none of them seemed to have made it into the dirt. Half were stuck on old leaves. Who knew when the next lot of rain would come to wash them into the soil?

So, without really thinking it through, Levi stopped and began gathering up the little pods. He picked them up, examined each one with stern scrutiny, and then deposited them safely into pockets on his rucksack. Levi was careful not to damage the pods. He made sure they could not rattle or roll about, as bruising wouldn’t help their chances of survival. When Levi couldn’t see a single one left on the ground, he straightened and dusted off his hands.

He’d found something for his garden, at least. Though there was a good chance that Levi had just collected a garden’s worth of tiny forest monsters, dormant for who knew how long? Or…maybe they really were just beans?

Levi really hoped they were beans, or else Eren was going to slaughter him.

 

 

The afternoon was wearing on by the time Levi had found his way back, only getting a little lost by some miracle. It was Eren’s webs that proved to be Levi’s saving grace. He caught sight of glimpses of white through the trees and followed the lacey trail back into familiar territory. Levi made it back to the small clearing by the cave entrance, shed his rucksack, and collapsed for a few minutes. That last dash up the mountainside had taken it out of the raven a bit. Levi lay on his back in the moss and stared up at the sky through tree branches, breathing hard.

He’d made it. Out and back again, and all by himself. Of course Eren would be furious, but he would have a hard time arguing with the results.

If the arachnid had ended up coming back early, he would have stormed out to yell by now so Levi figured he was safe for the moment. Eren was no doubt still patrolling the borders, or else he’d be making his way back now.

As his breathing returned to something closer to normal, Levi made himself sit up. He tugged his rucksack closer and checked on the seeds stored inside, but none were damaged or squashed and the raven breathed a sigh of relief. Next, his gaze drifted about the ground. There was a lot of web to contend with this close to the lair and that would make it difficult to build a garden. Levi hoped that Eren would be in a reasonable mood upon his return. It would make it much easier to talk with him about taking some of the webs down, just enough that Levi could have a good patch of soil to work with. Other than that, Eren’s webs would probably be more helpful than not. They would keep a lot of larger pests from eating or trampling any vegetation Levi got growing, and smaller things could be taken care of by the raven himself.

Levi almost smiled at the thought, how already their habits seemed to fit together in good ways. A garden would attract herbivores, some of which would become stuck in Eren’s web, and that meant more food for the both of them in the long run.

The urge to smile was fleeting, disappearing entirely when Levi remembered that the pods he had brought back were already attempting to sprout. If they threw roots before being planted, Levi might be able to sustain them in puddles. But not for long. And if they died, all that walking would have been for nothing.

Levi bit at the inside of his cheek, scanning the ground harder.

There was grass and dirt in places he could get to, if he was careful of the overarching webs. Little pockets of earth and moss existed between the stony ground, cracks and crevices.

Levi glanced up, taking in the yellowish glow tinging the clouds.  It was still overcast, but there were hints of colour now instead of various greys. Afternoon would linger on into dusk. But there was still a little time left before Levi would be safer underground. It wasn’t a great plan, but Levi made up his mind to plant the seeds now anyway. If they grew, fantastic. Maybe he could gain new seeds from the plants that survived? And if not? Well, that would be a shame but there wasn’t a better option.

Leaving the seed pods in a dip in the mossy ground, Levi took the rucksack and headed for the cave entrance. He dumped the pack and returned to the surface with his canteen of water and a dagger from Eren’s treasure trove. The handle was a little dusty, but comfortable to hold. Levi had no proper gardening tools in his possession, so this blade would have to do for now as a makeshift trowel. The blade was simple, non-decorative, practical. Levi was certain a little dirt wouldn’t spoil this weapon and he would be sure to clean it afterwards.

In the orange-tinged light of afternoon, Levi began digging out little divots in whatever ground he could find amongst the rock. He scooped out loose dirt, the holes only deep enough that each seed pod would be covered. The pods went in, each in their own little hole in the soil. Levi was careful with the water he added, dampening the dirt but not soaking, and then moving to dig the next hole.

Eren found him still kneeling in the moss, gently patting down dirt over the last pod.

“When I got that water, I was assuming _you_ would be the one drinking it.” Eren muttered, probably a lot closer than Levi had been expecting for the raven jerked a little in surprise.

Rather than the customary scowl, Levi only looked exasperated when he glanced back at Eren. The raven had to tilt his head back to meet Eren’s eyes. The arachnid did not look too pleased to find Levi outside, but Eren didn’t look angry either. Or surprised.

“For something so big, I’d have thought you’d make at least a little noise when you walked.” Levi commented.

Eren didn’t have anything to say on that matter; his approach was supposed to be silent. That’s how ambush predators operated.

The brunet took in the scene, Levi kneeling on mossy ground with dirt on his hands, brandishing the water canteen and a small blade. Eren’s brows pulled together, his eyes blinking out of time. Levi could practically see the gears turning in Eren’s head as the arachnid tried to puzzle out just what was going on.

Eventually, though, Eren just asked.

“What are you doing out here?” Eren’s tone was tinged with concern, his gaze shooting towards the dimming sky. “It’s going to be dark soon.”

“I know, I’m done now.” Levi said.

He got to his feet, dusting his knees and heading for the closest puddle to clear away the dirt on his fingers. Levi crouched by said puddle, washing his hands first and then the dagger. As far as he could tell, Eren hadn’t moved. When Levi glanced over his shoulder, it was confirmed.

Eren hadn’t moved, but he did look more curious than before.

Darting eyes glanced rapidly between Levi and the little spots of damp soil here and there, attempting to connect the dots.

“Done with what?” Eren asked.

His tone had that forceful kind of nonchalance to it. Eren knew something about the situation was a poorly concealed secret and he clearly wanted to see just how hard Levi would try to keep him in the dark about it.

Levi had no intention of going down the path of lies. He knew that was the road to trust issues and eventually becoming spider chow, which was as undesirable in reality as it was in theory.

“Planting things.” Levi answered, returning Eren’s stare of feigned indifference before recalling a thought from earlier. “Which reminds me, could you take down some webs somewhere near the cave entrance? I need a little space for the garden.”

“I…okay?” Eren blinked, momentarily thrown. “But _what_ were you planting?”

“Just some seeds I found.”

“You found?”

“Yes.”

The answers were too vague, Levi knew. He saw the precise moment that Eren fell into suspicion, and then the moment that the brunet’s mind latched onto the most likely answer.

Eren’s head tipped back just a fraction with the realisation and his eyes widened by a sliver.

“And where did you find them?” He asked.

Levi took too long to answer, though he preferred silence to an active lie. Not answering told Eren all he needed to know regardless, and Levi awaited the arachnid’s response, be it anger, disappointment, or panic.

Eren heaved a sigh.

“The woods?” Eren asked it like a question, but the resigned exasperation in his gaze made it clear that Eren knew he was right. “Levi,” Eren started, searching for the words that would make the raven understand his intentions for what they were, “I know that being stuck in a cave isn’t what you want, but it’s for your own good. This place isn’t safe. It’s not like your village, or any of the wilds you’re accustomed to. There are a hundred ways to get hurt out here and a thousand beings that would sooner gouge your eyes out than look at you. Even thinking about you wandering makes me so worried I feel ill.”

The words held a certain gravity and Levi gave them the quiet moment they deserved. And, of course, he’d already known all of that. Eren worried about him. Eren wanted to keep him safe. It was the whole ‘fragile human’ bit and as much as Levi understood, it still made him want to grind his teeth.

Levi sniffed, trying to keep his annoyance in check. “Well I didn’t meet any of those beings. As you can see, I’m fine.”

Eren made a strangled sound of disbelief, throwing his hands in the air. “You’re fine _this time_. It won’t always be so easy.” Eren’s irritation crumpled into something resigned but pleading. “Please, if you’re _that_ desperate to go out then at the very least let me accompany you.”

It might have been a good compromise, had Levi not known that Eren was likely to leave the cave, and Levi by default, to monitor his territory often. That would get inconvenient quickly if Levi tried to rely on Eren to escort him.

“You were busy.” Levi stated. “I was bored.”

“Levi.”

“Don’t say my name like I’m being unreasonable.” Levi didn’t mean to snap, but it happened. He took a breath, brief and frustrated. “Look.” Levi stood up straight, spread his arms, and spun once in gesture. “I went out, I came back, and nothing terrible happened to me the whole time.” Levi dropped his arms, but continued to stare Eren down. “I was careful. And I’ll _be_ careful the next time. But you have to make your peace with the idea that this is my home too now, and I will not live my life under house arrest.”

Eren didn’t take the news terribly well. He huffed and pouted and had everything but a verbal tantrum, chittering his displeasure under his breath.

But as the light faded and Levi headed back into the cave, Eren followed.

 

 

 


End file.
